V 


THE 

POLYTECHNIC 


7Ae  STUDENTS  of 


LANE  POLYTECHNIC 


INSTITUTE 


Chicago 


.inois 


2 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


TO  THE  CLASS  OF  1912 

Good  seniors  of  the  class  of  June 
Your  high  school  days  are  o’er. 

The  Pig  Skin  sheet  will  be  yours  soon 
With  fancy  script  galore. 

We  brothers  of  the  college  class 
Extend  a  welcome  hand, 

We  want  you  back  next  fall,  en  masse, 

To  join  and  take  your  stand. 

If  fortune  bids  you  go  elsewhere 
And  we  lose  you  in  the  fray, 

May  you  think  of  Lane,  when  we  were  there. 
We’ll  think  of  you  that  way. 

A.  W.  Hester,  jr. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


4 


v<* 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Page. 

Calendar .  6 

General  Statement .  9 

Outline  of  Courses . 12 

Trip  to  Europe . 25 

Editorial . 33 

Letters  of  Interest . 35 

Need  for  a  Municipal  College.. 40 

Before  the  Mast . 43 

Humorous  Stories . 47 

Poetry . 54 

Rolling  Mills . 57 

College  Athletics . 61 

An  Outer  Harbor . 62 

Analysis  of  Coal . 63 

An  All-round  Test . 71 


6 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Sept.  3,  Tuesday.  —  Academic  year  1912-1913  begins;  examinations  for  admis¬ 
sion  ;  first  day  of  registration. 

Sept.  4,  Wednesday.  —  Class  work  begins. 

Nov.  28,  Thursday.  —  Thanksgiving  Recess,  to  December  1,  Sunday,  inclusive. 
Dec.  20,  Friday  —  Christmas  Recess,  to  January  5,  Sunday,  inclusive. 

Jan.  6,  Monday.  —  Class  work  resumed. 

Jan.  27,  Monday.  —  Mid-year  examinations  begin. 

Feb.  3,  Monday.  —  Second  semester  begins. 

Feb.  12,  Wednesday.  —  Lincoln’s  Birthday. 

Mar.  20,  Thursday.  —  Easter  Recess,  to  March  23,  Sunday,  inclusive. 

May  1,  Friday.  —  Spring  Recess,  to  May  to,  Sunday,  inclusive. 

May  11,  Monday  — Class  work  resumed. 

May  30,  Friday.  —  Memorial  Day. 

June  26,  Thursday.  —  Second  Annual  Commencement. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Albrrt  (Krannia  ffianr 


8 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


9 


Realizing  that  there  were  many  young  men  who  were  earnestly  seeking  a 
technical  education,  and  realizing  that  it  is  equally  as  much  a  duty  of  the  city 
as  of  the  state  to  offer  such  a  training  to  those  seeking  it,  the  Board  of  Educa¬ 
tion  of  Chicago,  on  August  17,  1911,  provided  for  a  two  year  college  engineering 
course.  The  recommendation  provided  that  the  instruction  be  given  in  the  Lane 
Technical  High  School.  Such  was  the  meager  beginning  of  this  great  movement; 
and  in  the  course  of  one  year,  the  Lane  Polytechnic  Institute  has  been  organized, 
and  has  assumed  interesting  proportions.  Thus  far,  the  organization  includes 
but  one  college;  namely,  the  College  of  Engineering,  which  has  already  gained 
recognition  from  the  principal  technical  colleges  in  the  West.  However,  the 
Board  of  Education  is  contemplating  adding  several  more  departments  to  the 
present  organization,  possibly  those  of  law  and  medicine. 

But,  without  these  needed  additions,  which  have  been  promised,  the  In¬ 
stitute  is  in  a  position  to  give  young  men  a  liberal  education.  There  is  every 
probability  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  Lane  will  be  established  as  firmly 
as  many  existing  State  institutions,  which,  with  the  Lane  Polytechnic  Institute, 
have  a  common  purpose:  “To  help  those  who  wish  to  help  themselves.” 

The  government  rests  with  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  City  of  Chicago. 
The  Board  corresponding  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  average  American 
college. 

EXPENSES 

Owing  to  the  location,  the  government,  and  the  nature  of  the  Institute, 
expenses  are  reduced  to  the  minimum.  The  majority  of  the  students  enrolled 
live  with  their  parents  and  thereby  eliminate  board  bills  and  incidental  expenses. 
The  Institute  charges  no  tuition.  Laboratory  fees  to  the  extent  of  about  five 
dollars  a  year,  are  required  from  each  student.  The  average  cost  of  text  books 
each  year  is  $10.00. 


IO 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


ENVIRONMENT.  — AID  TO  STUDENTS 

In  the  center  of  the  thriving  industrial  city  of  Chicago,  every  opportunity 
is  afforded  the  young  inexperienced  engineer.  A  student  may  choose  from 
many  kinds  of  employment,  for  even  a  man  with  a  partial  training  is  in  demand 
by  many  of  the  large  industrial  concerns  in  the  city.  Thus,  if  a  student  is  com¬ 
pelled  to  do  for  himself,  there  are  advantages  to  be  gained,  for  he  is  constantly 
brought  in  touch  with  the  practical  phase  of  his  study  and  thereby  gains  know¬ 
ledge  which  he  would  not  otherwise  gain  until  after  he  had  completed  his  course. 

BOARD  AND  ROOMS 

No  dormitory  accomodations  are  provided  for  the  students.  Those  de¬ 
siring  board  and  rooms,  however,  can  obtain  them  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Institute 
at  prices,  ranging  from  $5.00  to  $7.00  a  week.  Further  information  may  be 
obtained  at  the  office. 

Meals  are  served  daily  in  the  building  from  11:30  A.  M.  to  1:15  P.  M., 
at  very  •  moderate  prices.  Those  desiring  such  service  may  be  accommodated 
on  the  fourth  floor,  which  is  devoted  entirely  to  a  well  equipped  cafeteria. 

TEXT  BOOKS 

Supplies  of  every  description,  textbooks,  drawing  instruments  and  material, 
paper,  etc.,  may  be  purchased  within  a  few  feet  of  the  Institute.  The  average 
cost  of  supplies  for  one  year  is  $15.00. 

LIBRARY 

Most  of  the  library  work,  including  reference  and  research  study,  is  done 
at  the  Newberry  Library,  located  but  a  short  distance  from  the  Institute.  This 
library  is  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  most  complete  collections  in  this  section 
of  the  country.  It  is  open  daily  from  8:00  A.  M.  to  10:00  P.  M.  excepting 
Sunday,  on  which  day  it  is  closed. 

In  the  near  future,  the  Chicago  Public  Library  will  equip  a  Branch  Library 
at  Seward  Park  which  is  but  two  blocks  from  the  Institute.  It  is  the  intention 
to  keep  in  this  library  a  large  collection  of  technical  books  for  the  use  of  the 
Lane  students. 


THE  LANE  STANDARD 

When  the  Institute  was  organized,  practically  the  same  standards  for  ad¬ 
mission  to  the  college  of  engineering  as  those  in  use  at  the  Armour  Institute 
of  Technology  were  adopted.  Lane  maintains  the  fifteen  Carnegie  units  stan¬ 
dard  for  college  entrance.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  faculty  to  live  up  to  these 
standards  rigidly,  so  that  they  may  have  that  class  of  men  to  train  who  deserve 
a  higher  educatioh,  but,  at  the  same  time  who  have  sufficient  technical  knowledge 
to  warrant  their  pursuing  these  higher  courses. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


ii 


ASSEMBLIES 

From  time  to  time  as  opportunity  affords,  the  Lane  Polytechnic  Institute 
invites  eminent  men  in  public  or  professional  life  to  address  the  student  body. 
The  lectures  given,  which  are  of  the  highest  type,  are  greatly  appreciated ;  as 
is  also  the  opportunity  of  meeting  personally  men  and  women  who  have  force 
of  character  and  high  ideals  in  life.  Lane  has  been  particularly  fortunate  in 
securing  good  speakers.  Among  those  who  have  favored  us  recently  are : 

Alderman  Charles  E.  Merriam,  Chicago  City  Council. 

Louis  Celestian  Monin, 

Dean  of  the  Cultural  studies  Armour  Institute  of  Technology. 

Jane  Adda  ms,  Hull  House,  Chicago. 

William  B.  Owen,  President  of  the  Chicago  Teachers’  College. 

Dr.  Winfield  Hall,  Medical  Dept.,  Northwestern  University. 

ft 

CORRESPONDENCE 
Address  all  correspondence  or  inquiries  to 
Mr.  Wm.  J.  Bogan,  Lane  Polytechnic  Institute, 

Sedgzvick  and  Division  Streets,  Chicago. 


“THE  MERRY  SCISSOR  GRINDER” 

Oh  I  grind  my  many  knives, 

From  their  dull  to  sharpened  lives; 

And  always  to  the  tune  of 
Ding,  dong,  ding. 

The  buthers  edges  thrive, 

And  I,  my  bread  derive, 

When  my  wheel  spins  to  the  tune  of 
Ding,  dong,  ding. 

I’m  a  free  and  merry  knave, 

With  naught  a  care  to  save; 

As  I  sharpen  to  the  tune  of 
Ding,  dong,  ding. 

Ah,  my  heart  is  bold  and  brave 
And  I  fear  no  early  grave ; 

But  I’ll  go  there  to  the  tune  of 
Ding,  dong,  ding. 


A.  W.  Hester,  jr. 


12 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


f\  T‘ 


I.  AIM  OF  THE  COURSE 

The  aim  of  this  two  years’  collegiate  course  is  to  train  the  student  in  the 
fundamental  principles  of  engineering.  This  field,  which  is  a  broad  one,  affords 
many  opportunities  for  specialization,  but  before  the  student  specializes  along 
the  lines  of  Mechanical,  Chemical,  Civil,  or  Electrical  Engineering  he  must 
master  the  scientific  principles  which  form  the'  foundation  of  all  engineering 
work.  No  one  line  can  be  successfully  followed  wholly  independent  of  any  other 
line.  There  are  times  when  the  Civil  Engineer  needs  to  know  the  principles, 
the  design,  and  the  use  of  machinery ;  and  times  when  the  Mechanical  Engineer 
needs  to  understand  thoroughly  the  principles  involved  in  the  application  of 
electricity^  to  commercial  uses.  Thus  it  is  only  by  the  study  of  the  laws  which 
underlie  all  engineering  that  the  proper  development  in  any  one  line  can  be 
insured.  In  the  course  here  offered  Lane  does  not  aim  to  specialize  in  any  of 
the  lines  mentioned,  but  she  does  aim  to  lay  the  necessary  foundation  for  all 
engineering,  and  to  make  it  possible  for  one  successfully  completing  this  course 
to  earn  a  degree  from  an  engineering  school  in  two  years. 

Hand  in  hand  with  the  work  along  technical  lines  is  offered  work  in  subjects 
which'  will  give  the  students  as  many  of  the  benefits  as  possible.  Such  re¬ 
quirements  as  English  Composition,  Englih  Literature,  French,  German,  etc., 
have  been  made  with  this  aim  in  view,  for  it  is  believed  that  such  subjects  are 
as  necessary  to  a  technical  as  to  a  professional  or  liberal  training. 

II.  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  ADMISSION 

Applicants  for  admission  who  hold  certificates  of  graduation  from  high 
schools  of  good  standing  will  be  admitted  without  examination.  Those  not 
presenting  such  certificates  will  be  required  to  pass  entrance  examinations. 

i.  The  following  units  of  credit  are  required  of  all: 


English . 3 

Mathematics .  3 

Mechanical  Drawing . . . 2 

Shop  Work .  3 

Science  (Physics  and  Chemistry . . .  2 

Historv  and  Civics .  1 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


13 


11.  In  addition  to  the  above  requirements,  two  units  must  be  offered  from 
the  following'  subjects : 

Foreign  Language. 

Biology  and  Modern  History. 

Chemistry. 

Physics. 

Free  hand. 

Electrical  or  Gas  Construction. 

Those  offering  two  units’  work  in  a  foreign  language  are  required  to 
present  only  two  and  one-half  units  in  English. 

Applicants  failing  to  offer  credit  in  the  subjects  required  will  be  admitted 
conditionally,  but  the  removal  of  an  entrance  condition  must  take  presedence 
of  all  other  work  in  that  subject. 


III.  TABULAR  VIEW  OF  COURSES 
A.  Engineering  Course 
FRESHMAN  YEAR 


First  Semester 

Second  Semester 

|  Hours 

|  Hours 

1 

of 

1 

of 

Required 

|  Ree. 

Required 

j  Rec. 

Mathematics  I 

i 

| 

Mathematics  II 

College  Algebra 

5 

Analytical  Geometry 

5 

Chemistry  I 

Chemistry  II 

1 

Qualitative  Analysis 

10 

Quantitative  Analysis 

10 

English1  I 

English  I  (continued) 

1 

Composition 

2 

Composition 

!  2 

Drawing  I 

Drawing  II 

Descriptive  Geometry 

8 

Machine  Design 

8 

Gymnasium 

1 

Gymnasium 

1 

Elective 

Elective 

Shop  Work  I 

5  or  10 

Shop  Work  II 

5  or  10 

Chemistry  III 

5 

Chemistry  III 

5 

Drawing  III 

Drawing  III 

Machine  Design 

5 

Machine  Design 

5 

French  I 

5 

French  II 

5 

German  I 

5 

German  II 

5 

14 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


SOPHOMORE  YEAR 


First  Semester 

Hours 

Second  Semester 

| 

Hours 

of 

of 

Required 

Rec. 

Required 

Rec. 

Mathematics  III 

Mathematics  IV 

Calculus,  Differential 

5 

Calculus,  Integral 

5 

Physics  I 

8 

Physics  II 

8 

English  II 

English  II  (continued) 

Literature 

2 

Literature 

2 

■Gymnasium 

1 

Gymnasium 

1 

Elective 

Elective 

Shop  Work  III 

5  or  10 

Shop  Work  IV 

5  or  10 

Kinematics 

5 

Statics 

5 

Steam  Engineering 

10 

Steam  Engineering 

10 

Electrical  Engineering 

Electrical  Engineering 

Lectures 

5 

Lectures 

5 

Laboratory 

5 

Laboratory 

5 

Chemical  Engineering 

10 

Chemical  Engineering 

!  10 

Civil  Engineering 

10 

Civil  Engineering 

10 

French  III 

5 

French  IV 

1  5 

German  III 

5 

German  IV 

5 

1 

French  or  German  is  elective  if  the  student  presents  two  units  for  entrance, 
otherwise  it  is  required. 

Shop  Work  I,  II,  III,  and  IV  are  required  if  the  student  does  not  offer  the 
equivalent  as  entrance  credits. 

B.  Architectural  Course 
FRESHMAN  YEAR 


First  Semester 

Hours 

Second  Semester 

Hours 

of 

of 

Required 

Rec. 

Required 

Rec. 

Mathematics  I 

1 

Mathematics  II 

College  Algebra 

i  5 

Analytical  Geometry 

5 

English  I 

1 

English  I  (continued) 

Composition 

!  2 

Composition 

2 

Drawing  I 

Drawing  V 

1° 

Descriptive  Geometry 

8 

Architectural 

Drawing  IV 

Drawing  VIII 

i 

Architectural 

10 

Freehand 

5 

Gymnasium 

1 

History  of  Architecture 

2 

•Gymnasium 

1 

THE  POLYTECHNIC 


*5 


Elective 

Elective 

Shop  Work  I  |5orl0 

Shop  Work  II 

5  or  10 

Chemistry  I  |5ori0 

Chemistry  II 

5  or  10 

French  I  |  5 

French  II 

1  5 

German  I  5 

1 

German  II 

1  5 

SOPHOMORE  YEAR 


First  Semester 

Second  Semester 

i 

Required 

|  Hours 
of 

I  Rec. 

Required 

Hours 

of 

Rec. 

Mathematics  III 

Mathematics  IV 

Calculus,  Differential 

1  5 

Calculus,  Integral 

5 

English  II 

Literature 

1  2 

English  II 

Literature 

2 

Physics  I 

8 

Physics  II 

8 

Drawing  VI 

Drawing  VII 

Architectural 

10 

Architectural 

5 

{Gymnasium 

1 

Drawing  IX 

Freehand 

5 

'Gymnasium 

1 

Elective 

Elective 

Kinematics 

’ 

5 

Statics 

5 

IV.  COMPARED  WITH  TECH.  COURSES  IN  OTHER  INSTITUTIONS 

In  adopting  the  course  as  outlined  we  have  endeavored  to  set  a  high  stan¬ 
dard  and  so  have  used  as  our  guide  the  courses  offered  by  some  of  the  leading- 
technical  institutions  of  the  .United  States ;  such  as,  Cornell  University,  the 
Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology,  and  the  Armour  Institute.  There  are 
some  minor  differences,  however.  Although  we  do  not  aim  to  specialize  in 
the  various  lines  of  engineering,  yet  for  those  who  feel  they  cannot  devote  four 
years  to  special  trailing  we  offer,  as  electives  in  the  Sophomore  year,  courses 
in  Steam,  Electrical,  Chemical,  and  Civil  Engineering,  and  in  Statics.  The 
special  student  may  thus  receive  a  training  n  these  various  lines  which  many 
other  technical  institutions  do  not  offer  until  the  Junior  year.  Another  dif¬ 
ference  in  our  course  is  that  special  emphasis  is  laid  on  chemistry  —  qualitative 
and  quantitative  being  offered  in  the  first  two  years.  This  requirement  is  not 
made  by  the  leading  state  universities  of  the  West,  but  the  advantage  of  such 
is  apparent,  for  the  student  thus  has  more  time  in  the  last  two  years  of  his 


i6 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


technical  training  to  devote  to  study  along  that  particular  line  of  engineering 
in  which  he  desires  to  specialize.  There  is  still  another  advantage  which  our 
course  offers  and  that  is  the  advantage  derived  from  the  number  of  hours  of 
exercise  required  in  the  different  subjects.  In  almost  every  instance  more  time 
is  devoted  to  the  subjets  offered  by  Lane.  The  course  in  Chemistry  reqlires 
333  hours  which  is  from  7%  to  13%  more  than  the  leading  technical  schools, 
and  35%  more  than  some  of  our  state  universities.  I11  Mathematics,  in  Physics, 
in  Drawing,  and  in  English,  etc.,  the  difference  is  not  so  great,  yet  it  ranges 
from  8%  to  12%.  The  advantage  to  be  derived  from  this  extra  amount  of  time 
is  an  advantage  not  to  be  disregarded  —  of  itself  it  means  increased  opportunity 
to  learn  and  to  do. 


V.  PROPOSED  COURSES 

The  courses  offered  by  the  Institute  up  to  the  present  time  are  of  a  tech¬ 
nical  nature,  but  it  is  proposed  to  introduce  other  lines  of  collegiate  work. 
Courses  in  law,  in  medicine,  and  in  commerce  are  now  under  consideration  and 
we  hope  soon  to  be  ready  to  enroll  students  in  these  various  lines.  These 
courses  will  benefit  those  people  wishing  to  become  doctors,  lawyers,  or  trained 
business  men  in  the  same  way  that  the  present  two  years’  course  benefits  the 
engineer.  The  student  in  medicine,  for  example,  will  be  able  to  take  the  first 
two  years’  work  leading  to  his  degree  in  the  Institute,  and  so  will  be  required 
to  take  only  additional  work  in  a  medical  school  to  complete  his  course. 

In  taking  up  these  courses  in  the  interests  of  higher  education,  the  Institute 
hopes  to  satisfy  a  long  felt  need  in  the  industrial  and  the  commercial  world ; 
and  to  extend  to  men  in  every  science  an  equal  opportunity  to  become  efficient 
and  useful  members  of  society. 

VI.  DESCRIPTION  OF  COURSES 

MATHEMATICS  /. 

College  Algebra  —  Review ;  definitions  and  assumptions ;  exponents,  in¬ 
cluding  fractional,  zero,  and  negative  exponents ;  algebraic  reductions.  Vari¬ 
ables  and  functions  with  g’raphs,  etc. ;  the  equation  and  systems  of  simultaneous 
(equations ;  inequalities.  Mathematical  induction ;  binomial  theorem ;  variation 
and  proportion ;  general  properties  of  logarithms  ;  infinite  series,  etc.  Permuta¬ 
tions,  combinations,  and  determinants.  Methods  of  approximations  to  roots 
of  equations,  both  by  algebraic  methods  and  by  graphs. 

Mr.  Heritage. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week  first  semester  of  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Rietz  and  Crathmore,  College  Algebra. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


1 7 


MATHEMATICS  II. 

“ Prerequisite  —  Mathematics  including  Course  I." 

Analytical  Geometry  —  Transformation  of  co-ordinants ;  lengths  and  shapes 
of  lines ;  areas  of  polygon.  Graphical  representation  of  a  function  ;  equation 
of  a  locus.  A  systematic  treatment  of  the  circle,  ellipse,  parabola,  hyperbola, 
limits ;  parametric  equations  of  loci ;  trigonometric  exponential  and  logarithmic 
functions.  Graphs  in  polar  co-ordinates.  The  ordinary  rules  of  differentiation, 
and  easy  forms  of  integration,  with  easy  applications. 

Mr.  Heritage. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week  second  semester  of  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Riggs,  Analytical  Geometry. 

MATHEMATICS  III. 

“Calculus,  Differential”  —  Variables  ;  functions  ;  theory  of  limits  ;  differen¬ 
tiation  ;  applications  to  derivative  Geometry ;  differentiation  of  standard  elemen¬ 
tary  forms ;  applications  of  the  dervative ;  successive  differentiation ;  maxima 
and  minima;  points  of  inflection;  curve  tracing;  differentials;  rates;  change  of 
variable ;  curvature  and  radius  of  curvature.  Theorem  of  mean  values ;  indeter¬ 
minate  forms;  partial  differentiation;  series;  comergence,  etc.  Taylor’s  theorem 
and  McLaurin’s  theorem.  Mr.  Heritage. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week  first  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 

MATHEMATICS  IV. 

“Prerequisite — Courses  I,  II,  and  III,” 

“Calculus,  Integral  —  Integration  of  standard  elementary  forms ;  constant 
of  integration  and  its  physical  meaning ;  detailed  treatment  of  indefinite  integrals ; 
treatment  of  definite  integrals,  milk  problems  in  areas,  lengths  of  arcs,  volumes, 
and  surfaces  of  revolution ;  integration  of  rational  fractions ;  integration  by 
substitution  of  new  related  variable ;  integration  by  parts ;  successive  and  partial 
integration.  Mr.  Heritage. 

Time  —  Five  hours  second  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 

CHEMISTRY  I. 

Qualitative  Analysis  —  Prerequisite,  one  year  of  high  school  Chemistry. 
This  course  includes  a  study  of  the  chemistry  of  non-metallic  elements,  especial 
attention  being  devoted  to  fundamental  laws  and  theories.  The  metallic  elements 
are  studied  from  the  standpoint  of  the  analytical  classification.  Laboratory 
work  consists  of  a  study  of  the  reactions,  separation,  and  identification  of  metals, 
and  of  the  more  common  inorganic  acids.  Mr.  Evan&. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Noyes  and  Smith,  Qualitative  Analysis. 


i8 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


CHEMISTRY  II. 

Quantitative  Analysis  —  The  modern  ideas  of  solutions  and  equilibrium  are 
developed  and  their  applications  to  analytical  chemistry  are  discussed.  The  work 
includes  the  gravimetric  estimation  of  chlorine,  iron,  sulphur;  and  the  urepara- 
tion  of  standard  acids,  and  bases,  of  permanganate  and  bichomate  solutions,  of 
an  iodine  solution  and  practice  with  each.  AIr.  Evans. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Lincoln  and  Walton,  Quantitative  Analysis. 

CHEMISTRY  III. 

This  course  is  a  continuation  of  Chemistry  II,  including  the  analysis  of 
substances  of  greater  complexity,  such  as  dolomites,  iron,  lead,  zinc,  and  copper 
ores,  feldspar  and  various  mitellurgical  products.  Mr.  Evans. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week  throughout  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  —  Lincoln  and  Walton,  Quantitative  Analysis. 

DRAWING  I. 

Descriptive  Geometry  —  In  this  course  special  attention  is  given  to  the 
development  of  the  ability  of  the  student  for  analytic  thinking.  To  this  end  a 
regular  course  of  procedure  is  outlined  for  the  solution  of  any  problem.  Work 
in  the  class  room  and  drawing  room  is  supplemented  by  numerous  home  problems. 

Mr  Wallace. 

Time  —  Eight  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Miller,  Descriptive  Geometry. 

DRAWING  II. 

Machine  Design  —  In  preparation  for  this  course  it  is  assumed  that  the 
student  has  had  a  training  in  mechanical  drawing,  is  familiar  with  shop  tools 
and  methods,  and  has  some  idea  of  the  details  of  standard  machine  parts.  The 
machine  is  studied  as  a  whole,  rather  than  by  parts.  By  this  process  the  relation 
of  each  part  to  its  neighbor  may  be  more  thoroughly  analyzed,  and  its  design 
thus  adapted  to  its  particular  work.  A  simple  toggle  joint  is  chosen  for  design 
having  parts  in  tension,  compression,  shear,  and  flexure.  Drawing  room  work 
is  supplemented  by  lectures.  Mr  Wallace. 

Time  —  Eight  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Hofifman,  Elementary  Machine  Design. 

DRAWING  III. 

This  course  is  a  continuation  of  Drawing  II  and  involves  problems  in : 

(a)  Some  form  of  power  machine  which  will  review  the  simple  stresses 
taken  up  in  Drawing  II,  and  include  those  incident  to  revolving  shafts,  gears,  etc. 


19 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


(b)  Some  form  of  machine  using  steam,  air  or  hydraulic  cylinders.  Each 
student  is  given  an  individual  problem.  Mr  Wallace. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  one  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Hoffman, Elementary  Machine  Design. 

DRAWING  IV. 

Architectural  —  Prerequisite  Architectural  Drawing  in  Drawing  Book  2, 
or  equivalent.  Architectural  lettering  with  special  emphasis  upon  lettering  for 
titles,  inscriptions,  etc.  Study  is  made  of  the  Classical  Orders ;  detailed  drawings 
required. 

Mr.  Valentine. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  — 


DRAWING  V. 

Architectural  —  Continuation  of  the  study  of  the  Orders,  Shades  and 
shadows,  review  of  the  principles  of  shadow  projection  and  application  of  those 
principles  in  arcitectural  work.  Linear  perspective ;  perspective  of  shadows. 
Architectural  design  using  details  of  the  Orders  as  elements.  Perspective  and 
shadows  of  the  studies. 

Mr.  Valentine. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  — 


-  DRAWING  VI. 

Architectural  —  Principles  of  design  in  wood,  stone,  brick,  steel,  concrete, 
etc.,  are  studied  with  problems  to  be  worked  out  in  the  different  materials. 
Studies  in  the  arrangements  of  rooms,  and  in  the  lighting,  ventilation,  etc., 
of  the  same.  Inter-relation  of  floor  plan  and  exterior. 

Mr.  Valentine. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 


DRAWING  VII. 

Architectural  —  This  course  is  a  continuation  of  the  work  outlined  in 
Drawing  VI.  Principles  of  design  in  the  various  building  materials  studied 
more  in  detail.  Problems  in  arrangement,  lighting,  and  ventilation  more  complex. 

Mr.  Valentine. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 


20 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


DRAWING  VIII. 

Freehand — Prerequisite,  Freehand  drawing  in  high  school.  Freehand 
sketching  from  architectural  models.  Freehand  studies  of  historic  ornament 
and  its  adaptation  to  architectural  decoration. 

Mr . . . 

Time — Five  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  — 

DRAWING  IX. 

Freehand  —  Continuation  of  Drawing  VIII.  The  work  includes  drawing 
from  casts  of  architectural  ornament,  life  drawing,  memory  sketching,  and  time 
sketching  in  pencil,  and  in  pen  and  ink.  Mr . 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 

ENGLISH  I. 

Composition  —  The  work  is  conducted  by  means  of  classroom  exercises, 
weekly  themes,  and  consultations.  The  principles  of  composition  as  applied  to 
the  whole  composition,  the  paragraph,  the  sentence,  and  the  word  are  studied. 
The  chief  object  is  to  enabel  a  student  to  write  in  a  correct,  lucid,  and  easy 
manner ;  and  to  express  himself  with  accuracy  and  precission.  The  course 
includes  lectures  on  structure  and  style.  Miss  Atkinson. 

Time  —  Two  hours  a  week,  throughout  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Canby,  Principles  of  Composition. 

ENGLISH  II. 

Literature  —  Prerequisite  Englishl.  The  year’s  work  is  designed  to  give 
a  survey  of  the  formation  of  the  English  language,  and  the  rise  and  develop¬ 
ment  of  English  Literature.  This  course  is  necessarily  general,  but  it  is  the 
aim  to  make  it  sifficiently  definite  to  serve  as  a  reliable  framework  for  any  later 
study.  The  development  of  the  different  literary  types  are  studied,  and  master¬ 
pieces  illustrating  these  types  are  read.  Miss  Atkinson. 

Time  —  Two  hours  a  week,  throughout  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 

FRENCH  /. 

Stress  is  laid  on  accurate  pronunciation,  on  the  essentials  of  grammar,  and 
on  acquiring  of  a  vocabulary  —  much  oral  drill  with  these  aims  in  view. 
Elementary  grammar  to  be  mastered  —  conjugation  of  regular  verbs  and  more 
frequent  irregular,  forms  and  positions  of  personal  pronouns,  inflections  of 
nouns  and  adjectives,  and  partitative  construction.  Mr.  James. 

Time — Five  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Fraser  and  Squair,  Grammar. 

Reading  of  easy  stories. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


FRENCH  II. 

Conversational  drills  to  fix  vocabulary  and  common  grammatical  forms  con¬ 
tinued.  aiming  to  make  it  possible  to  read  simple  French  texts  intelligently 
without  translating  them.  Dictation  of  simple  passages  for  its  value  in  training 
the  ear  and  in  teaching  grammar.  Translation  into  French  of  simple  English. 

Mr.  James. 

Time  —  Two  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Fraser  and  Squair,  Grammar. 

FRENCH  III. 

Fraser  and  Squair’s  Grammar  completed;  attention  given  to  rarer  irregular 
verb  forms,  to  a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  accidence,  French  syntax,  and  the 
uses  of  tense  and  mode.  Dictation  and  reading  at  sight  continued.  Translation 
into  idiomatic  French  of  connected  passages  of  English  prose. 

Mr.  James. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  —  Fraser  and  Squair,  Grammar. 

Contemporary  French  Prose,  selections  from 

FRENCH  IV. 

Work  in  composition,  grammar,  and  conversation  to  be  based  on  books 
read.  Reading  of  contemporary  French  prose  and  some  verse.  Reading  from 
at  least  four  different  authors  to  increase  vocabulary,  and  familiarize  the  student 
with  different  styles  of  composition.  Reading  supplementary  to  class  work 
required.  Mr.  James. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  —  Selections  from  list  prescribed  by  Board. 

GERMAN  I. 

The  language  is  taught  chiefly  by  the  direct  method,  German  being  spoken 
in  class  from  the  beginning,  though  not  exclusively.  To  train  the  ear,  to  develop 
an  appreciation  for  the  language  so  that  student  will  not  have  to  go  through 
the  process  of  translation  to  grasp  the  meaning,  and  to  give  facility  in  reading 
and  speaking  special  exercises  are  prepared  by  the  instructor. 

Mr.  James. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Becker-Rhoades,  Elementary  German. 

GERMAN  II. 

Study  of  grammar  continued.  Much  time  is  devoted  to  reading,  that  the 
student  may  be  given  a  working  knowledge  of  the  language.  Class  exercises 


22 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


conducted  chiefly  in  German,  but  enough  translation  to  make  sure  that  the 
text  is  understood.  Mr.  James. 

Time — Five  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Freshman  year. 

Textbook  —  Seligmann,  Altes  and  Neues. 

Vos,  Materials  for  German  Conversation. 


GERMAN  III. 


The  work  includes  exercises  in  conversation  and  composition  based  on  the 
texts  read.  Review  of  grammar  and  syntax. 


Mr.  James 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Sophomore  year. 
Textbook  —  Storm,  Immensee. 

Gerstacker,  Germelshausen. 

Seidel,  Leberecht  Hiihnchen. 


GERMAN  IV. 

The  course  comprises  composition,  dictation,  reading,  lectures,  and  conver¬ 
sation.  Materials  for  the  above  are  drawn  from  the  readings  assigned  and  from 
current  literature.  Mr.  James 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Texbook- — Stockl,  Alle  Fiinf. 

Zechokke,  Abenteuer  der  Neujahrsnacht. 

Schiller,  Wilhelm  Tell. 

PHYSICS  1  and  II. 

These  courses  include  the  treatment  of  the  mechanics  of  solids,  liquids,  and 
■gases ;  of  heat,  light,  sound,  and  electricity.  Particular  attention  will  be  given 
to  the  ideas  and  principles  upon  which  the  science  of  engineering  is  Based. 
Attention  given  to  the  solution  of  problems  of  a  practical  nature. 

Mr.  Beebe. 

Time — Eight  hours  a  week,  throughout  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  —  Duff,  A  Textbook  of  Physics. 


KINEMATICS. 

This  course  will  cover  the  theoretical  analysis  of  pure  mechanism  and  the 
practical  applications  of  these  principles  to  simple  and  complex  machines.  Study 
of  links,  belting,  velocity,  diagrams,  gears,  and  other  mechanism. 

Mr.  Beebe. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


23 


STATICS . 

This  course  will  cover  the  class-room  work  in  the  analytical  and  graphical 
determination  of  the  stresses  in  engineering  structures ;  such  as,  roofs,  mill- 
buildings,  and  cranes.  Students  will  be  required  to  determine  the  strains  in 
several  different  types  of  trusses.  Mr.  Beebe. 

Time  —  Five  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 


CHEMICAL  ENGINEERING. 

The  fatty  and  aromatic  series  of  compounds  are  taken  up  both  in  lecture 
room  and  in  laboratory.  The  student  is  required  to  prepare  a  large  number  of 
the  characteristic  members  of  these  series  and  to  study  their  various  reactions. 
The  second  semester’s  work  includes  a  further  study  of  the  more  difficult  deter¬ 
minations  of  inorganic  compounds.  Mr.  Evans. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  throughout  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook —  ■, 

ELECTRICAL  ENGINEERING. 

Prerequisite — -Mathematics  I  and  II.  Lectures  —  The  uses  and  applications 
of  the  principles  taught  involved  in  engineering  work  are  carefully  explained 
and  illustrated.  Theory  and  practice  of  electrical  measurements  is  taken  up 
in  detail.  Comparisons  made  of  different  methods  used  for  the  measurement  of 
resistance,  current,  and  potential. 

Laboratory  —  Consists  of  experiments  in  measuring  electrical  quantities  by 
different  standard  methods.  In  this  course  the  tudent  becomes  familiar  with 
various  measuring  instruments.  Mr.  Bowman. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  throughout  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  —  Special  notes  and  reference. 

STEAM  ENGINEERING. 

The  following  topics  will  be  taken  up  in  this  course :  General  construction 
of  boilers,  engines,  turbines,  condensers,  pumps,  and  other  steam  machinery. 
The  study  and  taking'  of  indicator  diagrams ;  thermo  dynamics  of  gases  and 
steam  compounding,  superheating  and  the  mechanics  of  the  steam  engine. 

Mr.  Beebe. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  throughout  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  — 


CIVIL  ENGINEERING. 


Prerequisite  —  Trigonometry  and  Mathematics  I  and  II.  The  student  is 
taught  the  use  of  the  chain,  tape,  compass,  transit,  and  the  various  forms  of 


24 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


levelling  instruments.  Drawing  work  consists  in  making  computations  which 
arise  in  the  field  work;  and  with  maps,  profiles,  scale  drawings,  and  contour 
maps  in  the  solution  of  the  practical  problems  given. 

Mr.  Heritage. 

Time  —  Ten  hours  a  week,  throughout  Sophomore  year. 

Textbook  —  Breed  and  Hosmer,  Principles  and  Practice  of  Surveying. 

SHOP  WORK  /. 

The  elementary  principles  of  general  woodwork  and  patternmaking  and 
their  relation  to  machinery  and  building  construction.  Special  attention  to  the 
principles  of  wood  construction  to  overcome  warps  and  shrinkage  and  to  prevent 
distortion.  Application  of  the  above  principles  to  carpentry,  cabinet-making 
and  pattern-maKing. 

Mr.  Sullivan. 

Mr.  Baursfeld. 

Time  —  Five  or  ten  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Freshman  year. 

SHOP  WORK  II. 

Foundry  —  Moulding  of  larger  and  more  difficult  patterns.  Experiments 
in  mixing  and  melting  cast  iron  and  steel  carried  on  in  co-operation  with  the 
chemical  laboratory.  Experiments  with  metals  for  brasses  and  bronzes,  manage¬ 
ment  of  cupola  and  methods  of  teaching  foundry  practice  are  dwelt  upon. 

Mr.  McGrath. 

Time  —  Five  or  ten  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Freshman  year. 

SHOP  WORK  III . 

Review  of  Bessemer  process,  and  history  of  the  forge.  Work  at  the  forge 
and  demonstration  of  each  of  the  several  processes.  Uses  of  swages  and  dif¬ 
ferent  kinds  of  welds  studied.  Analysis  of  tool  steel.  The  heat  required  in 
handling,  tempering,  and  annealing.  Processes  of  tempering  in  water,  oil,  and 
other  baths.  Processes  of  case  hardening. 

Mr.  O’Neil. 

Time- — Five  or  ten  hours  a  week,  first  semester  Sophomore  year. 

SHOP  WORK  IV. 

Prerequisite  —  Elementary  machine  shop  work.  The  exact  form  this  course 
will  take  will  depend  on  the  demands.  If  it  is  a  class  project,  a  gas  engine,  a 
pump,  or  one  of  the  many  machines  interesting  the  class  will  lie  taken  up.  If 
it  is  an  individual  project,  a  gas  engine  of  some  sturdy  type  with  moderate 
speed  would  form  an  excellent  set  of  exercises  which  would  be  assembled  finally. 

Mr.  Friese. 

Time  —  Five  or  ten  hours  a  week,  second  semester  Sophomore  year. 


by  George  H.  Rice 


Fifty  years  ago  of  the  '“wanderlust”  entered  an  American  youth’s  blood 
he  immediately  tied  his  several  belongings  in  a  large  bandanna,  slid  down  the 
waterspout  which  ran  past  his  bedroom  window,  into  the  darkness  of  the  night 
and  ran  away  to  the  nearest  seaport.  There  he  would  ship  before  the  mast  of 
some  vessel  for  two,  three,  or  even  four  years  and  then  —  then  if  he  had  not 
been  shipwrecked,  marooned,  eaten  by  cannibals,  knifed  in  a  rioting,  or  killed 
by  roving  sea-pirates,  he  would  either  enter  the  service  “for  keeps,”  or  return 
home  with  the  travel  virus  out  of  his  system. 

Today,  if  that  same  wanderlust  which  is  sometimes,  or  rather  more  often 
mistaken  by  his  fond  parents  for  springfever  or  lovesickness,  enters  many  an 
American  youth’s  portals,  he  has  but  to  tarry  in  his  own  home  library  long 
enough  to  refresh  his  memory  on  the  contents  of  that  large  geography  he  so 
diligently  carried  to  and  from  school  in  those  good  old  “kid  days” ;  tarry  there 
long  enough  to  review  some  French  or  German,  he  so  conscientiously  wrestled’ 
with  for  so  many  years  while  attending  high  school,  and  then  pack  his  belong¬ 
ings  in  a  fine  alligator-skin  suitcase,  draw  upon  his  father’s  generosity  and  make 
for  the  nearest  seaport  in  grand  style ;  namely,  taxicab,  pullman,  diner,  ,fast 
trains,  etc.  Nothing  less  than  first  class  on  the  finest  and  fastest  ocean  liner 
will  satisfy  this  travel  virus  which  has  somehow  crept  into  his  system.  Nothing 
less  than  the  very  best  hotels  'and  the  very  finest  of  service  will  allow  him  to 
enjoy  himself  as  he  thinks  he  should  when  on  an  extended  trip  such  as  he  has 
planned.  A  trip  like  this  may  be  very  grand,  but  remember  all  this  costs  money 
and  a  barrel  of  it  too ;  buy  no  means  a  barrel  like  the  one  you  received  at  church 
on  Easter  Sunday,  but  a  full  sized  hogshead. 

This  young  American  who  can  well  afford  these  luxuries  is  not  to  be  en¬ 
vied,  however,  by  those  of  us  of  moderate  means,  for  opportunities  now  afford 
themselves  and  will  continue  to  afford  themselves  to  all  of  us  who  are  willing 


26 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


to  endure  many  inconveniences  and  even  some  hardships.  To  plan  a  trip  to 
Europe  under  the  glow  of  the  study  lamp  in  the  college  dormitory,  or  in  the 
quietude  of  the  home  library  is  somewhat  different  from  the  actual  carrying 
out  of  a  project  such  as  mine.  It  is  not  the  lark  that  it  seems  to  be  trom  tne 
standpoint  of  the  uninitiated.  It  means  that  the  young  man,  who  wishes  to  or 
rather  is  compelled  to  work  his  way  across  the  ocean  in  order  to  steal  a  glimpse 
of  the  old  world,  must  serve  on  some  ocean  greyhound,  in  the  capacity  of  a 
scullion-boy,  a  dishwasher,  a  steward  in  the  employ  of  the  steamboat  company, 
or  a  cattletender  in  the  employ  of  some  large  packing  concern.  Of  these  four 
positions  I  personally  prefer  the  cattletenders  job,  though  I  have  served  in  the 
capacity  of  a  dishwasher  and  of  a  steward. 

In  accepting  a  position,  or  rather  a  job  on  an  ocean  liner,  it  means  that  the 
young  man,  especially  the  one  accepting  the  cattleman’s  job,  must  expect  to  be 
thrown  in  with  ex-convicts,  tramps,  army  deserters  —  in  fact,  with  the  scum 
of  a  continent.  Along  these  he  must  mix  feed ;  clean  stables ;  go  into  the 
narrow  pens  when  the  ship  is  rolling  dangerously  from  side  to  side,  thus  often 
risking  life  and  limb,  for  the  unsteady  cattle  are  as  unused  to  the  motion  of 
the  boat  as  the  young  cattletender  himself.  The  food  that  he  is  compelled  to 
eat  is  of  the  cheapest,  unless  he  reimburses  the  cook  from  time  to  time.  On 
retiring  he  finds  that  not  all  of  the  live  stock  on  board  is  confined  to  the  cattle 
pens,  and,  unless  his  skin  be  unusually  calloused,  he  will  most  likely  seek  a  soft 
spot  in  the  hay  among  the  cattle  and  there  spend  the  night  tossing  restlessly 
about  hoping  for  the  morning.  If  he  brings  with  him  anything  of  value  and 
retains  it  at  the  end  of  the  voyage  he  is  more  fortunate  than  most  of  the 
other  members  of  the  cattle-gang,  for  the  propensity  of  the  men  with  whom  he 
sleeps  is  to  get  all  they  can  and  give  as  little  as  possible  in  return.  Redress 


—  unless  he  reimburses  the  cook. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


27 


for  stolen  articles  is  not  to  'be  had  from  the  liner’s  captain  as  he  does  not  guar¬ 
antee  his  cattle-tenders  against  theft  from  one  another. 

Right  here  you  will  stop  and  ask  me  how  I  know  so  much  about  such  an 
ocean  trip.  Well  the  fact  is  I  took  a  trip  across  the  ocean  on  a  cattle  boat  last 
summer  and  had  to  contend  with  all  the  afore  mentioned  inconveniences,  except 
associating  with  ex-convicts  or  army  deserters,  or  having  my  money  belt  taken 
away.  Well  to  get  down  to  brass  tacks  and  hay  pitching,  this  “ wanderlust” 
I  have  been  writing  about  took  full  possession  of  me  while  I  was  yet  in  my 
senior  year  at  high  school.  I’ve  been  love-sick  and  I  had  the  measles,  but  this 
fangle-dangle  disease  had  them  all  eclipsed.  There  was  nothing  in  this  world, 
not  even  “Peruna”  that  could  cure  me,  but  to  get  away  and  stay  until  I  was 
tired  and  willing  to  come  back  of  my  own  accord.  I  could  not  afford  very  well 
to  pull  up  'and  go  immediately  because  it  was  just  two  months  before  I  was 
to  graduate  from  high  school.  Well  I  suffered  some,  —  I  suffered  some  more, 
patiently  awaiting  my  “sheepskin.”  At  last  the  commencement  day  came  and 
with  it  the  diploma,  then  I  was  free  to  go  my  way.  This  was  the  twenty-third 
of  June,  a  skidoo  day  for  me  in  two  senses  of  the  word ;  one  from  school,  the 
other  from  home. 

Well  amid  fond  farewells  and  Godspeeds  I  was  off  for  an  extended  trip 
abroad  —  so  the  newspapers  said.  By  extended  I  suppose  they  meant,  pro¬ 
longed  or  extended  from  day  to  day,  as  I  saw  how  my  finances  were  holding 
out.  Traveling  east  by  the  cheapest  way,  “The  Nickel  Plate,”  I  reached  the 
“Bean  City,”  richer  than  when  I  left  home  by  two  dollars.  How  was  this? 
you  will  again  ask  me.  Well,  I  found  a  pocket-book  at  the  Falls  and  failed  to 
find  the  owner.  If  I  but  could  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  stumble  over 
such  an  obstacle  every  day,  no  telling  when  I  would  have  returned.  But  I  didn’t, 
so  I’m  home. 

The  time  came  to  take  up  my  work  on  the  “R.  M.  S.  Cymric”  of  the  White 
Star  Line.  Five,  six,  maybe  it  was  seven  hours  before  the  boat  sailed,  I  was 
down  at  the  dock  bag  'and  baggage  as  were  many  others.  I  soon  signed  on 
and  my  duties  commenced  then  and  there.  We  were  shown  our  quarters  aboard 
the  vessel  and  were  told  to  make  ourselves  at  home,  for  we  would  have  to  eat 
and  sleep  there  for  the  next  ten  days.  After  a  short  tour  of  inspection  of  my 
surroundings,  of  which  I  thought  very  favorably,  I  was  introduced  to  the  “cattle- 
boss,”  who  seemed  at  first  sight  and  really  was  a  very  congenial  sort  of  chap. 
He  told  me  the  cattle  would  be  aboard  very  shortly  and  it  was  up  to  me  to 
help  tie  each  animal  in  its  stable.  The  time  soon  came  and  with  it  the  mad  rush 
of  some  seven  hundred  cattle,  and  I  immediately  commenced  to  tie  them.  By 
the  time  all  were  securely  tied  the  liner  was  many  miles  from  the  harbor.  I 
certainly  was  some  tired  after  my  first  attempt  at  real  work,  and  tumbled  into 
my  bunk,  too  sleepy  to  notice  or  care  about  my  immediate  surroundings.  After 
sleeping  for  about  twenty  minutes,  it  seemed  —  though  in  reality  it  had  been 


28 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


some  six  hours  —  I  was  called  at  3 130  o’clock  in  the  morning  by  our  newly 
appointed  night  watchman  for  my  first  work  as  a  cattle  tender.  My  first  duty 
was  to  help  water  this  enormous  number  of  cattle.  Can  you  imagine*  quenemng 
the  thirst  of  some  seven  hundred  and  twenty-six  cattle,  with1  but  a  small  water 
pail?  Well  that’s  just  what  I  had  to  do.  Each  beast  drank  at  least  four  pails 
fulls,  some  drank  as  many  as  eight  and  ten.  Let  me  see,  four  times  seven 
hundred  is  equal  to  —  oh,  just  imagine  doing  all  this  on  an  empty  stomach! 
Well  it  was  done  and  every  day,  too.  After  watering  all  this  bunch,  which 
acquired  some  two  hours  and  a  half,  we  had  to  feed  them.  Now  you  will 
understand  that  it  takes  about,  —  well  let  me  think  —  well  about  seven  or  eleven 
pounds  of  hay  —  rough  estimate  —  to  feed  all  these  hungry  mouths,  beside,  well 
a  little,  just  a  very  little  physical  exertion  on  the  part  of  the  feeders. 

After  feeding  them  all  the  grain  and  hay  they  wanted,  it  was  about  time, 
I  could  tell,  I  do  not  know  how,  but  I  could  tell  it  was  about  time  for  me  to 
feed,  it  being  now  half  past  seven.  So  I  washed  up  and  was  soon  seated  at  the 
table  awaiting  the  fatted  calf.  I  certainly  was  hungry  enough  to  eat  a  calf, 
but  to  my  great  disapointment  none  came.  Instead,  well  I  really  don’t  know 
what  it  was  I  had  placed  before  me,  for  no  name  came  with  it.  It  was  some 
rare  dish  just  the  same  —  a  la  salt  water  oatmeal  and  horsehoofs;  some  potatoes 
de  boiler-room,  flavored  with  —  well  I  just  can’t  remember  tasting  this  particular 
brand  before  —  but  I  think  it  was  flavored  with  '‘Lehigh  Valley  Smokeless  Coal 
■  DuSt.”  Very  grand  tasting  material,  I  assure  you.  All  this  “stuff”  was  placed 
before  me  to  eat.  I  sure  was  hungry  but  not  hungry  enough  to  eat  that  break¬ 
fast  food.  A  committee  or  redress  was  appointed  to  interview  the  cook,  but 
tb(inO  avail.  Finally  a  Second  was  appointed  armed  for  a  fight  if  necessary. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


29 


Well  anyhow  this  committee  won  out  for  substantial  food  —  but  it  cost  each 
of  us  ten  cents  'a  meal.  A  treasurer  was  appointed  and  soon  the  necessary  funds 
were  in  the  cook’s  hand;  and  oh,  then  we  did  eat;  and  what  we  ate  would  have 
looked  good  in  print. 

The  work  after  breakfast  consisted  of  hauling  up  hay  and  grain  out  of  the 
hatches,  where  it  was  stored,  for  the  next  day’s  feed.  I  was  appointed  to  go 
down  the  rope  to  the  bottom  of  the  hole  and  hook  on  the  bales  and  sacks  so 
the  chain  gang  could  pull  them  up  to  the  cattle  floor.  This  duty  was  mine,  I 
suppose,  not  because  I  had  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  boss,  but  because  I 
was  the  smallest  member  of  the  gang  and  it  was  possible  for  me  to  squeeze 
behind  the  large  bales  of  hay  and  roll  them  down  to  the  hatch-ways.  After 
hauling  up  enough  hay  and  grain  for  the  morrow,  it  was  time  —  I  could  again 
tell  because  I  had  that  same  feeling  just  before  breakfast  —  to  repair  to  the 
dining  room,  and  repair  I  did.  I  sat  down  as  at  breakfast,  but  lo  and  behold, 
there  was  a  splendid  dinner  now  awaiting  me,  with  table  service  by  our  ‘‘Peggy,” 
or  room  steward.  I  soon  made  short  work  of  the  lay-out  before  me,  and  after 
a  short  rest  I  again  resumed  work,  this  time  to  water  the  stock  and  clean  up 
the  feed  trough  a  bit.  Our  work  was  all  completed  by  3  :oo  o’clock  at  the  latest, 
and  there  was  “Nothing  to  do  ’til  to-morrow.” 

I  worked  at  this  job  for  two  days  and  really  began  to  enjoy  it  when  I  was 
promoted  to  “Peggy.”  What  on  earth  is  this?  you  ask.  Well  it  has  to  do  with 
“grub”  and  the  way  in  which  it  is  handled.  We  had  been  out  but  two  days 
when  our  dear  little  “Peggy”  failed  to  have  our  dinner  ready.  He  had  fallen 
asleep  on  deck  and  forgot  to  awake  in  time  to  prepare  our  noon  day  meal,  so 
for  his  negligence  he  was  placed  on  the  chain-gang,  and  I  was  placed  in  the 
capacity  of  chief  cook  and  dishwasher.  My  duties  as  “Peggy”  were  numerous, 
and  of  a  somewhat  different  nature  than  those  of  feeding  cattle.  I  now  had 
to  feed  hungry  men  three  times  a  day.  Instead  of  having  to  arise  at  3  :30  o’clock 
in  the  morning,  I  arose  'at  7  o’clock, — one  nice  thing  about  the  job  —  set  the 
table  for  eighteen  men,  and  made  everything  ready  for  breakfast.  When  they 
came  in  I  brought  all  the  hot  grub  from  the  crafty  cook  friend  of  mine,  and 
waited  on  the  wants  of  the  breakfasters,  seeing  that  they  had  plenty  of  coffee, 
bread,  and  biscuits.  After  breakfast  was  over  and  all  hands  were  back  to  their 
work,  I  washed  the  dishes,  made  up  the  bunks,  scrubbed  the  floor,  and  had 
everything  in  tip-top  condition  for  the  daily  inspection  of  the  captain  and  his 
assistant  officers.  At  twelve  I  had  to  prepare  for  dinner,  and,  of  course,  had 
more  dishes  to  wash  and  more  straightening  up  to  do ;  but  the  rest  of  the  after¬ 
noon  I  had  to  myself.  At  six  o’clock  I  made  ready  for  supper,  which  meant 
more  dishes,  but  at  night  the  boys  always  helped  me  to  put  things  in  order. 
I  then  set  the  table  for  the  boys’  early  breakfast  —  a  meal  which  we  soon  in¬ 
augurated  after  the  first  morning’s  work  on  an  empty  stomach.  I  would  get 
the  biscuits  and  butter  out,  fill  up  the  coffee  with  sugar,  cream  —  this  cream 


30 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


being  thrown  in  on  the  ten-cent-a-meal  idea  —  and  coffee,  and  set  the  pot  out 
by  the  bunk-room  door.  The  night  watchman  on  calling  the  gang  at  3  130  o'clock 
in  the  morning  would  see  that  the  pot  was  filled  with  good  hot  water  from 
the  engine  room.  I  continued  in  the  capacity  of  “Peggy”  for  the  remainder 
of  the  trip,  and  do  not  know  of  any  member  of  our  crew  who  suffered  from 
indigestion  or  -the  like.  This  job  of  “Peggy”  was  rather  light  work  compared 
with  the  cattle  tender’s  job,  but  my  time  was  seldom  my  own  because  1  was 
compelled  to  remain  in  the  bunk  room  day  and  night  to  safeguard  our  property. 


Waiting  for  the  pie-rats. 


I  Was  sometimes  relieved  during  the  day-time  by  the  night  watchman,  who 
generally  managed  to  wake  up  right  after  dinner.  Then  I  would  loaf  about 
the  boat  or  read  some  magazines  a  few  of  the  boys  were  thoughtful  enough 
to  bring  along.  Daily  it  fell  to  my  lot  also  to  escort  a  party  from  the  first  cabin 
through  the  pens,  —  which  I  must  see  were  kept  admirably  clean,  —  to  see 
the  gang  at  work. 

On  the  eight  day  about  2 130  o’clock  in  the  morning  we  saw  the  first  sight 
of  the  Irish  coast.  The  morning  of  the  tenth  day  found  us  at  anchor  in  the 
harbor  of  Liverpool  and  after  landing  all  passengers,  we  steamed  up  the  river 
to  the  stock  yard  where  we  soon  parted  with1  our  cares  of  the  past  week.  The 
boat  was  then  docked  in  her  berth  and  we  were  relieved  of  our  duttes.  After 
a  number  of  fond  farewells  and  Godspeeds,  we  departed  to  see  what  we  could 
of  Europe  with  the  few  pennies  we  had. 

On  the  following  morning  we  were  off  for  London,  stopping  a  day  or  two 
at  Stradford-on-Avon  and  at  Oxford.  After  four  days  of  sight-seeing  in  London, 
we  left  for  the  continent,  visiting  Antwerp,  Brussels,  Waterloo,  The  Hague, 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


3i 


Amsterdam,  and  many  small  towns  in  Belgium  and  Holland.  Germany  was 
next  visited;  stop-overs  being  made  at  Berlin,  Cologne,  Meyance  and  Mannheim. 
One  of  the  most  enjoyable  features  of  our  trip  in  this  country  was  a  trip  up 
the  Rhine  River  from  Cologne  to  Meyance,  a  distance  of  116  miles.  At  Mann¬ 
heim  we  met  a  friend  from  Chicago  and  spent  a  few  very  pleasant  days  at  his 
uncle’s  home. 

We  then  left  “The  Fatherland”  for  an  eight-day  trip  through  Switzerland, 
The  feature  of  the  journey  through  Switzerland,  was  that  1 1 5  miles  was  ac¬ 
complished  on  foot.  We  went  from  Lucerne  to  Interlaken  through  Furka  Pass 
and  over  the  Rhone  Glacier  and  made  one-day  expeditions  to  Mt.  Rigi,  five 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  to  Lauterbrunnen  up  the  side  of  Jungfrau. 
Paris,  including  a  day  at  Versailles,  was  the  next  stopping  place  of  importance. 

After  a  five-day  sightseeing  trip  about  the  city,  we  returned  to  London, 
then  to  Liverpool  where  we  soon  made  ready  for  our  departure  to  the  good  old 
U.  S.  A.,  but  not  in  the  way  we  had  contemplated.  According  to  the  original 
agreement  with  the  Packing  Company  we  were  to  receive  free  transportation 
to  the  port  from  which  we  sailed.  But  to  our  surprise  a  seamen’s  strike  had 
been  called  since  our  departure  for  the  continent,  and  we  were  compelled  to 
get  back  to  America  as  best  we  could.  We  had  spent  all  our  money  so  either 
had  to  find  employment  of  some  kind,  or  starve.  We  could  not  think  of  starving, 
so  we  worked  our  way  back  to  New  York  'as  third  class  stewards  aboard  the 
“R.  M.  S.  Adriatic.”  We  arrived  in  New  York  on  Labor  Day,  after  encounter¬ 
ing  many  storms  and  mutinies  on  board.  We  were  glad  we  had  gone;  but 
twice  glad  to  get  back. 


e-A 


32 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Another  Job  for  the  Builder. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


33 


STANLEY  I.  WALBANK 
Editor 


ACKNOWLEDG  MiENT 


To  those  who  have  given  their  loyal  support  to  make  this  publication  what 
it  is,  our  acknowledgements  are  made.  We  have  been  fundamentally  aided 
by  the  Lane  Faculty,  various  business  and  professional  men  and  the  Lane 
student  body. 

Wherever  possible  credit  has  been  given  to  contributors  but  chief  acknow¬ 
ledgments  are  due,  however,  to  the  Printing  Department,  to  Mr.  Valentine, 
Mr.  McCarthy,  and  Miss  Atkinson. 

In  September,  1911,  when  the  first  news  of  our  college  course  reached  the 
ears  of  the  public,  the  feeling  of  doubt  was  prevalent  everywhere.  Many  thought 
this  step  in  favor  of  higher  education  to  be  just  one  among  the  multitudes  of 
new  untried  schemes,  which  would  in  a  short  time  die  a  natural  death.  But  the 
situation  has  vastly  changed.  No  longer  the  movement  considered  a  premature 
development ;  for  if  this  same  opportunity  had  been  offered  years  ago,  the 
probability  is  that  many  of  our  technical  men  would  have  taken  advantage  of 
it,  and,  as  the  result  of  so  doing,  would  have  raised  the  standard  of  American 
technology  considerably.  When  any  undertaking  of  such  importance  is  presented, 
it  is  but  natural  that  a  vertain  degree  of  doubt  would  arise  in  the  public  mind. 
Only  ten  years  ago,  how  we  laughed  at  the  Wright  brothers’  attempt  to  navigate 
in  the  air ;  how  impracticable  it  seemed.  But  to-day  who  laughs  ?  History  tells 
us  that  such  has  been  the  reception  of  every  great  discovery,  invention,  or 
presentation  of  new  ideas ;  so  that  we  are  not  discouraged  one  iota,  but  rather 


34 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


strengthened,  for  we  realize  the  immensity  of  the  task  before  us  —  to  educate 
the  uneducated,  and  to  make  the  intelligent  more  intelligent. 

As  an  endorsement  of  the  present  step  which  has  been  taken  by  the  Board 
of  Education,  we  have  only  to  cite  the  present  situation  in  Germany,  There 
we  find  that  the  six-year  industrial  course  has  solved  the  problem  which  con¬ 
fronted  that  country  so  long,  and  from  these  six-year  schools  have  come  the 
men  who  today  carry  Germany’s  industrial  responsibilities  —  the  man  upon  whom 
she  depends  for  her  industrial  future.  After  having  served  a  sister  nation  for 
years,  the  six-year  industrial  course  appeared  to  our  great  American  educators 
as  being  the  most  logical  solution  of  our  industrial  situation ;  so  they  inaugurated 
the  system  and  at  present  it  is  being  used  to  great  advantage  in  Bradley — , 
Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco,  and  New  York.  Now  after  having  the  worth  of 
the  system  demonstrated  to  us  in  such  certain  terms,  can  Chicago,  the  great 
central  metropolis  of  our  United  States,  the  thriving  city  which  has  the  pos¬ 
sibilities  ofbecoming  the  greatest  city  in  the  world,  afford  to  stand  behind  and 
allow  some  of  the  smaller  educational  centers  to  surpass  her  in  this  matter  — 
thereby  allowing  scftne  of  her  industrial  men  to  go  through  life  untrained,  and 
others  to  seek  their  training  in  cities  which  have  few  of  the  advantages  for 
learning  which  we  have? 

Many  times  has  it  been  demonstrated  that  we  need  trained  engineers  as 
well  as  skilled  doctors,  lawyers,  and  the  like ;  for  in  this  day  and  age  there  is 
no  more  place  for  the  eighteenth  century  engineer  than  there  is  for  the  quack 
doctor.  We  need  skilled  men,  we  must  have  them;  and  the  question  now  is, 
shall  we  make  them  or  import  them  ?  After  considering  the  question  from  every 
point  of  view  our  educators  of  conservative  mind  deem  the  latter  the  more 
advisable ;  nor  do  they  see  any  reason  why  the  ultimate  standard  thus  established 
should  rank  below  that  of  any  such  school  in  existence.  On  the  other  hand 
there  is  every  possibility  that  this  newly  established  institution  will  produce 
men  of  originality,  of  the  higher  type  known  as  professional  engineers. 

So  it  is  with  pride  that  we  welcome  this  higher  branch  of  learning  to  Lane, 
and  with  the  support  of  the  public,  we  hope  to  make  the  Lane  Polytechnic 
Institute  one  which  will  establish  an  enviable  reputation  for  the  strength  of 
its  scholarship  and  the  worth  of  its  graduates ;  one  which'  will  produce  not 
only  engineers  of  cold  metal  and  inanimate  matter,  but  also  engineers  of  men. 

< 


.Mt. 

ilntmat 


36 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


BOARD  OF  EDUCATION 

members 

D  P:  CAMERON  GEO.  B.  SWIFT 

A  P  ORION  JUDGE  N.C.  SEARS 

OF  GRE I  FEN  HAGEN  JUDGE  WM.  A. VINCENT 
A  F.  GARTZ  H  .  A  .  LI  PS  K  Y 

D»  JOHN  GUERIN  J  C  HARDING 
D*  J  H  WALSH  TENA  F  MacMAHON 

DEAN  W  T  SUMNER  H.w.  HUTTMANN 
J  F.  SMICTANNA  j  b.  DIBELKA 

DaJ.B.  Me  FATRICH  D  M.PFAELZER 
F  I.  BENNETT  C  O.SETHNESS 

G  F  KOESTER 

CHARLES  O.  SETHNESS 

TIB  N  CURTIS  STREET  May  25,  1918 

Mr.  Stanley  R.  Wall  bank, 

President,  College  Class  1915, 

Lane  Technical  School,  Chicago,  Ill  • 

Dear  Sirs 

Your  interesting  letter  embodying  a  suggestion  of  the 
plans  and  purposes  of  the  extended  Courses  in  the  Technical  Schools 
has  been  received  .  I  beg  leave  to  assure  you  of  my  appreciation  of 
your  efforts  and  of  my  earnest  wishes  for  the  success  of  this  new 
educational  enterprose  . 

Our  young  men  are  to  be  congratulated  on  the  enlargement 
of  opportunity  provided  through 'the  extension  of  the  curriculum 
of  our  Technical  High  Schools*  To  minister  to  the  needs  of  our 
young  people  in  their  efforts  to  qualify  for  a  useful  and  success¬ 
ful  like  career  is  the  paramount  purpose  of  the  Public  Schools  . 

The  industrial  world  is  asking  for  the  trained  intellect,  the  con¬ 
structive  mind,  and  for  an  education  that  is  usable  and  productive  • 
Your  efforts  and  ambitions  to  elevate  the  standard  of  the  Technical 
High  School  are  in  harmony  with  the  general  call  for  greater  effic¬ 
iency  in  the  life  training  given  in  our  system  of  instruction  . 

Your  interest  will  invite  sympathy  and  co-operation  from  all  who  are 
alive  to  the  nngent  demands  of  the  age  in  which  we  are  living  . 


CITY  OF  CHICAGO 


On.  J.  B  MCFATRICH 

PRESIOENT 

FRANK  I  BENNETT 

VICE  PRESIDENT 

LEWIS  E  LARSON 

SCC£|TARY 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Urbana,  Illinois,  May  15,  1912. 

Mr.  William  J.  Bogan, 

Principal  of  the  Lane  Technical  High  School, 

Sedgwick  and  Division  Streets,  Chicago,  Ill. 

Dear  Sir: — 

I  have  your  letter  letter  of  May  6,  outlining  your  plans  for  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  a  fifth  and  sixth  year  course  at  the  Lane  and  Crane  Technical  High 
Schools,  which  years  are  expected  to  agree  substantially  with  the  first  two  years 
of  our  course,  and  asking  whether  we  will  give  your  students  credit  for  such 
work. 

I  have  had  pleasure  in  submitting  your  proposition  to  our  faculty,  by  which 
body  I  am  instructed  to  respond  as  follows : 

The  College  of  Engineering  is  interested  in  your  proposal.  We  have  found 
great  satisfaction  in  the  students  who  have  come  to  us  from  the  Lane  and  Crane 
Technical  High  Schools.  We  know  iby  the  work  which  your  students  have  done 
and  by  our  inspection  of  your  facilities  that  the  things  you  have  hitherto  under¬ 
taken  have  been  done  well.  We  shall  assume  that  the  work  which  you  may  do 
in  a  fifth  and  sixth  year  course  will  be  equally  entitled  to  our  recognition.  I 
do  not  think  that  there  will  be  any  trouble  in  our  giving  your  students  the  same 
consideration  that  we  give  students  from  other  technical  schools  and  universities ; 
that  is,  we  shall  be  disposed  to  accept  the  work  you  do  for  its  full  value.  We 
will  not  require  your  students  to  do  here  anything  that  they  have  already 
accomplished  with  you. 

This,  of  course,  does  not  mean  that  every  student  who  completes  the  fifth 
and  sixth  year  course  at  Lane  can  enter  here  with  junior  standing.  The  work 
of  our  freshman  and  sophomore  years  is  different  for  different  courses,  arid 
it  is  conceivable  of  two  students  coming  from  your  course,  that  one  desiring 
to  enter  Mechanical  Engineering  would  have  extensive  credits,  while  the  other 
desiring  to  enter  Architecture  might  find  himself  quite  deficient.  Again,  it  is 
conceivable  that  there  will  be  pressure  upon  you  to  make  your  two  years' 
course  complete  in  itself,  and  that  you  will  introduce  subjects  into  that  course 
which  may  be  foreign  to  our  freshman  and  sophomore  years. 

All  of  these  things  will  affect  the  degree  of  perfection  with  which  the  joint 
between  your  work  and  ours  can  be  made.  They  are,  however,  such  problems 
as  always  'arise  when  the  student  transfers  from  one  institution  to  another. 

I  would  add  that  we  have  in  contemplation  some  changes  of  course  which 
might  have  a  bearing  upon  the  general  question  which  has  been  raised.  These 
changes,  however,  are  not  likely  to  be  effective  next  year.  We  shall  be  glad 
to  keep  you  informed  as  to  our  'action  in  such  a  matter . 

Wishing  you  the  best  of  success  in  the  undertaking  upon  which  you  are 
embarking,  I  beg  to  remain,  Very  truly  yours, 

(Signed)  W.  F.  M.  Goss. 

Dean  of  College  of  Engineering. 


38 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Note:  The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Charles  S.  Bacon 
to  Mrs.  Young.  Dr.  Bacon  is  a  lecturer  for  the  University  of  Illinois’  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 


May  13th,  1912. 

Mrs.  Ella  Flagg  Young, 

Superintendent  of  Schools, 

City  of  Chicago. 

Dear  Madame: — 

My  attention  has  been  called  to  the  two  year  college  course  established  last 
year  at  the  Lane  and  Crane  High  Schools.  I  understand  that  provision  has 
been  made  only  for  technical  courses.  I  am  writing  to  recommend  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  a  similar  course  preliminary  to  the  study  of  medicine. 

As  you  undoubtedly  know  many  medical  colleges  and  many  State  Exam¬ 
ining  Boards  are  now  requiring  a  preparatory  two  years  college  course  in 
addition  to  a  High  School  course  as  a  qualification  for  beginning  the  study  of 
medicine.  Few  colleges  except  those  connected  with  Universities  make  any 
provision  for  any  such  course.  There  are  many  good  reasons  why  the  High 
School  should  prepare  for  professional  work.  Of  course  few  High  Schools 
have  equipment  for  giving  such  a  course  in  Physiology,  Chemistry  and  Zoology. 
The  magnificent  equipment  of  our  two  Manual  Training  Schools  is  satisfactory 
for  this  work  and  I  believe  you  have  an  opportunity  to  establish  a  precedent 
that  will  be  of  much  importance  both  in  the  development  of  medicine  and  of  the 
High  Schools  of  the.  country. 

I  believe  there  is  a  similar  demand  for  a  year  or  two  of*  college  work  prepar¬ 
atory  to  a  law  course.  Such  a  development  of  the  curriculum  as  would  put 
our  High  Schools  on  an  equality  with  the  German  Gymnasia  and  make  them 
competent  to  furnish  all  the  professional  studies  would  certainly  have  great 
influence  on  our  educational  system. 

I  understand  you  have  given  much  thought  to  this  subject  and  hope  that 
my  suggestions  are  in  line  with  your  plans.  If  so  I  shall  be  glad  to  give  further 
support  to  the  proposition  if  desired, 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

(Signed)  Dr.  C.  S.  Bacon. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


ARMOUR  or  T M  fc  OKAMQ. 

Institute  ofTechnology 

€HICAOOo 

r.W.GUNSAULUS 

President. 

December  22d,  1911* 

Mr.  William  J.  Bogan,  Principal, 

The  Albert  G.  Lane  Technical  High  School, 

Sedgwick  and  Division  Streets, 

Chicago. 

Dear  Mr.  Bogan: 

I  wish  to  acknowledge,  with  many  thanks,  your 
kind  favor  of  recent  date  enclosing  the  curriculum  for 
the  Engineering  Course  recently  established  in  the  Lane 
Technical  High  School.  We  feel  very  much  complimented 
that  you  have  'accepted  our  arrangement  of  studies  as  a 
model,  and  I  think  beyond  question  that  students  who 
complete  this  course  satisfactorily  will  be  able  to  grad¬ 
uate  from  the  Armour  Institute  of  Technology  in  two  years. 

It  may  depend  somewhat  upon  the  particular  department  of 
engineering  the  student  wishes  to  enter,  but,  under  any 
circumstances,  he  should  be  able  to  enter  our  Junior  Year 
and  complete  the  courge  in  two  years  by  doing  some  work 
in  the  Summer  Session.  With  your  equipment  and  faculty, 
you  should  be  able  to  give  the  first  two  years  of  an 
engineering  course  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner,  and  I 
wish  to  extend  to  you  our  congratulations  in  taking  the 
initiative  in  offering  such  an  opportunity  to  young  men 
who,  perhaps,  could  obtain  this  higher  grade  work  in  no 
other  way. 

With  my  best  regards, 

I  remain, 

Very  truly  yours. 

Dean.  J 


CO 


40 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


4* 


THE  NEED  FOR  A  MUNICIPAL  COLLEGE  IN  CHICAGO 

Wm.  J.  Bogan 

The  great  city  of  Chicago  is  slowly  awakening  to  the  possibilities  of  its 
school  system  as  a  direct  agency  in  promoting  the  commercial  prosperity  of 
its  citizens.  Until  recent  times  the  tradition  that  the  city  or  state  should  rest 
content  with  the  “common  school”  system  of  education  for  its  citizens  was  ac¬ 
cepted  without  serious  question  by  laymen  and  educators.  In  fact,  every  great 
extension  of  the  school  system  has  been  met  by  constitutional  objections  pf 
reactionaries  who  insisted  that  there  was  no  legal  warrant  for  any  educational 
expense  beyond  that  neccessary  for  the  common  •  school.  However,  the  great 
industrial  success  of  Germany  which  experts  credit  to  the  German  school  system 
has  had  the  effect  of  arousing  Americans  to  the  need  for  an  education  more 
practical  than  the  old.  Strangely  enough,  notwithstanding  the  great  energy  of 
the  citizens  of  Chicago,  the  growth  of  the  city  has  been  a  matter  of  hit  or  miss, 
with  little  intelligent  guidance.  Now  that  Chicago  has  entered  upon  the  “city 
practical”  stage  of  its  development  the  need  for  leaders  is  growing  rapidly. 
The  incompetence  shown  in  every  department  om  municipal  administration  is 
gradually  arousing  our  citizens  to  the  importance  of  training  men  for  leadership 
in  every  line  affecting  the  growth  of  the  city  and  the  comfort  and  happiness 
of  its  people. 

Educators  have  looked  to  the  college  for  leaders  to  guide  the  destiny  of 
city,  state  and  nation  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  few  of  the  higher  institutions 
of  learning  in  this  country  have  lived  up  to  the  expectations  of  the  people  in 
regard  to  the  solution  of  the  pressing  problems  of  a  growing  city.  The  college 
is  not  entirely  to  blame  for  this  failure,  for,  contrary  to  the  general  belief  their 
student  body  is  not  always  made  up  of  the  picked  pupils  from  the  high  schools. 
In  fact,  it  is  only  too  often  the  case  that  the  college  is  a  refuge  for  the  incom¬ 
petent  and  lazy  ones  with  a  surplus  of  money  and  a  deficit  of  sense.  The  best 
stock  for  leaders  is  often  forced  out  of  the  secondary  school  or  college  by 
economic  stress,  a  condition  that  requires  the  best  thought  of  our  city  to  remedy. 
Our  municipal  college  is  perhaps  the  best  remedy  yet  proposed. 

Years  ago  the  Chicago  Board  of  Education  established  a  college  for  the 
training  of  teachers  for  it  was  felt  that  Chicago’s  great  educational  problem 
—  the  securing  of  good  teachers  —  was  too  serious  to  be  left  to  a  haphazard 
solution.'  Now  it  is  felt  that  the  demands  of  industry  and  commerce  require 
a  college  that  will  minister  directly  to  the  needs  of  the  city.  By  making  this 
institution  free  to  the  citizens  of  Chicago1  it  is  believed  that  many  desirable 


42 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


students  will  be  attracted  to  college  work  who  would  otherwise  be  barred  by 
the  prohibitive  expense  of  college  life. 

If  the  parents  of  Chicago  take  advantage  of  this  great  opportunity  to  give 
their  sons  a  college  education  filled  with  the  spirit  and  stamped  with  the  motto 
of  Chicago  the  city  will  always  have  at  hand  a  body  of  earnest  energetic  men, 
prepared  to  face  many  of  the  problems  that  are  continually  calling  for  solution. 


COLLEGE  FACULTY 


Mr.  Wallace  Mr.  Knockenmuss  Mr.  James 
Mr.  Heritage  Miss  Atkinson  Mr.  Bogan  Mr.  Evans 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


43 


I  had  seen  all  of  London  I  cared  about,  so  I  decided  to  go  to  sea.  I  had 
before  me  all  the  countries  and  their  many  ports,  and  the  desire  to  see  them 
was  in  my  blood.  Bombay,  Shanghai,  Melmourn,  and  Sydney  all  held  their 
lespective  interesting  sights.  Then  they  were,  with  London  as  a  gateway,  and 
I  the  recipient  of  their  alluring  call.  Life  as  a  sailor  appealed  to  me,  and  thus 
my  fancy  persuaded  me  to  ship  before  the  mast  in  preference  to  going  as  a 
passenger.  One  morning,  therefore,  found  me  on  my  way  to  the  docks  in  quest 
of  a  ship. 

The  majority  of  London’s  navigation  does  not  come  to  the  city  proper,  but 
only  as  far  as  Tilbury,  or  —  as  in  the  case  of  Mail  steamers  and  smaller  southern 
ocean  boats  —  to  the  Royal  Albert  Docks,  some  fifteen  miles  from  the  city. 

When  I  started  out  to  seek  employment  on  some  boat,  I  knew  onthing  of 
the  discharge  papers  required.  They  are  papers  given  to  each  member  of  the 
position  on  another  boat.  I,  of  course,  had  none  of  these  papers,  and  from  the 
crew  at  the  end  of  a  voyage,  to  be  used  as  references  when  applying  for  a 
fact  that  I  was  not  a  British  subject,  I  met  refusal  at  every  turn.  My  search 
was  not  without  interest,  however,  for  I  visited  boats  from  all  over  the  world, 
flying  flags  of  countries  all  the  way  from  Golden  Gate  to  Lisbon,  and  from 
St.  Petersburg  to  Cape  Town.  In  these  various  crews  were  representatives  from 
every  country,  and  most  of  them  were  in  hteir  native  garb. 

After  some  days  search,  however,  I  walked  up  the  gang-plank  of  an 
Australian  Tramp  steamer  one  afternoon,  and  found  my  way  to  the  chief  steward. 
After  some  short  arguing  he  told  me  he  would  sign  me  on  as  seaman,  but  as 
soon  as  we  got  to  sea  he  would  give  me  a  steward’s  job.  When  a  promise 
like  this  is  made  and  not  kept  it  is  called  Shang'hying,  and  this  is  what  I  got. 
In  faith,  however,  I  went  next  morning  to  the.  shipping  offices  at  Wells  Street 
and  was  signed  on  the  S.  S.  Papanui,  of  Melbourne,  as  seaman. 

We  lay  at  our  moorings  for  some  ten  days  after  sailing  date  on  account 
of  the  strike  among  the  stevedores,  but  on  the  morning  of  eighteenth  of  August 


44 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


dropped  down  the  Thams  to  Gravesend  where  we  picked  up  a  few  emigrants 
going  out  to  Australia.  The  war  between  Italy  and  Tripoli  offered  tempting 
profits  in  smuggling  ammunition  across  the  Mediterranean,  so  down  in  our  hold 
rested  five  hundred  ton.  The  Board  of  Trade,  which  regulates  all  English  ship¬ 
ping,  must  have  gotten  wind  of  this,  for  at  half  past  ten,  on  the  night  we  arrived 
at  Gravesend,  a  telegram  came  aboard  with  orders  not  to  sail.  This  was  once 
when  the  skipper  did  not  wait  for  the  tide,  but  within  half  an  hour  had  us 
steaming  down  stream  and  out  into-  the  English  Channel. 

My  work  before  the  mast  was  not  hard  and  by  the  end  of  the  first,  few  days 
I  was  well  used  to  it.  Any  number  of  the  crew  would  fill  the  bill  of  the 
“ Wandering  Jew”  to  perfection,  and  a  rougher  but  better  hearted  lot  of  men 
it  would  be  hard  to  collect.  They  were  full  of  fun  and  horse-play  and  I,  being 
the  only  Yank  aboard,  had  the  full  benefit  of  their  amusement.  By  taking 
everything  with  a  laugh  instead  of  a  curse,  I  soon  won  their  good  will,  and 
two  weeks  found  me  well  instated  i  their  good  graces,  and  accepted  as  one  of 
them. 

The  weather  was  fine  and  daily  growing  warmer,  and  one  beautiful  morning 
we  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Las  Palmas,  Canary  Islands.  This  island 
of  Las  Palmas  is  one  of  'a  group  of  three  which  composes  the  Canaries,  and  is 
second  in  size  to  Teneriffe.  It  is  some  twelve  miles  long,  and  the  beautiful 
little  city  of  Las  Palmas  is  situated  on  a  large  natural  harbor.  The  morning 
sun  throwing  her  glory  on  towering  palms  set  in  a  white  ground  of  old  Spanish 
houses  with  a  spire  rising  here  and  there,  presents  to  the  beholder  one  of  the 
mots  beautiful  sights  imaginable.  In  the  fore  ground  was  a  surprising  number 
of  ships,  for  these  islands  are  the  largest  coaling  stations  in  the  Atlantic.  Here 
boats  coal  going  from  England  to  the  continent  around  the  Cape  to  South 
America,  or  around  the  Horn ;  or  vici  versa  as  the  case  may  be.  There  was  a 
brisk  wind  from  the  south  which  made  the  graceful  banana  palms  bend  back 
and  forth,  and  put  a  light  swell  on  the  azure  ocean.  Our  signal  brought  a  tug 
with  three  barges  in  tow,  loaded  with  coal  shipped  from  Spain  and  Africa.  The 
swell  washed  over  the  barges  and  the  coal  had  no  chance  of  drying  before  being 
shipped.  We  passed  a  pleasant  day  and  night  in  that  busy  little  harbor  but 
were  not  allowed  to  land.  The  stop  was  celebrated,  as  all  stops  are  the  world 
over,  by  the  entire  crew  from  the  skipper  to  the  firemen  getting  most  gloriously 
drunk.  The  fo’castle  that  night  was  a  scene  of  wild  hilarity  set  to  the  accom¬ 
paniment  of  mandolins,  accordions,  and  harmonicas. 

The  late  morning  of  the  second  day,  however,  found  us  on  our  way  to 
Cape  Town,  South'  Africa.  The  weather  became  hot,  for  the  tropics  that  year 
had  an  unusually  early  spring.  Nevertheless  the  skies  were  clear  and  the  nights 
the  most  beautiful  I  have  ever  experienced.  The  Southern  Cross,  a  constellation 
in  the  southern  heavens,  swung  clear  of  the  horizon  and  mounted  higher  night 
by  night.  We  were  now  in  the  midst  of  the  flying  fish  and  they  would  rise  from 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


45 


the  water  and  fly,  or  rather  soar,  for  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  when 
their  wings  became  dry,  drop  back  into  the  water. 

Six  days  after  leaving  the  Canaries  we  began  to  experience  the  effect  of  the 
wet  coal.  For  three  days  it  had  been  getting  hot,  and  through  carelessness  was 
neglected.  Consequently  September  first  found  us  fighting  an  open  fire  in  three 
bunkers.  There  was  only  one  ceg  of  sulphur  aboard  and  this  was  used  up  with' 
little  or  no  effect.  Our  condition  became  a  serious  one.  It  was  impossible  to 
flood  the  bunkers  for  that  would  have  made  the  coal  useless  for  the  fires,  and 
we  would  have  been  adrift.  In  case  we  turned  and  made  for  Africa  we  would 
have  been  dropped  on  the  edge  of  the  Sahare  desert.  By  staying  at  sea  and 
trying  to  make  the  island  of  St.  Helena  we  stood  some  chance  of  being  picked 
up  by  a  passing  boat.  We  had  no  wireless  aboard,  and  of  course  could  not  call 
for  help ;  all  we  could  do  was  to  sail  on,  but  for  twelve  days  we  never  sighted  a 
light. 

T  o  add  to  our  difficulties  our  fresh  water  turned  salt,  and  owing  to  the 
hot  weather  all  the  vegetables  rotted.  Hour  after  hour,  and  day  after  day,  saw 
every  able  bodied  man  aboard  fighting  an  ever  loosing  fight  against  the  most 
dreaded  catastro'bhy  known  at  sea.  The  fire  spread  'and  in  six  days  every  bunker 
aboard  was  in  open  flame,  and  the  manholes  along  the  side  saloon  decks  belched 
forth  smoke  and  fire.  Every  hour  of  the  day  and  night  saw  groups  of  men  and 
women  leaning  over  the  bow  eagerly  looking  and  praying  for  land.  Such  are 
the  hours  that  open  the  closest  souls,  and  enemies  work  side  by  side  in  the 
common  struggle  to  fight  back  that  savagely  hungry  demon,  fire. 

At  four  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  eleventh  of  September  the  shout 
of  “Land”  went  up,  and  there  on  the  port  bow  lay  the  little  island  of  St.  Helena. 

We  ran  the  boat  aground  and  sent  the  women  and  children  and  men  pas¬ 
sengers  ashore,  and  it  was  not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  at  eleven-thirty  that  night 
a  bunker  blew  up.  We  continued  to  work  getting  up  food  and  luggage  until 
twelve-thirty  the  next  noon.  But  by  this  time  the  dynamite  was  entirely  sur¬ 
rounded  by  flame  and  the  stern  was  cut  off  to  passage  by  the  fire  amidships. 
The  saloons  and  bridge  were  one  mass  of  flames  and  the  heat  was  unbearable, 
so  we  were  ordered  over  the  side  and  a  moment  later  the  skipper  left  her.  At 
one-fifteen,  fourty-five  minutes  later,  she  blew  up  with  five  terrific  explosions 
which’  ripped  off  her  entire  forward  deck  and  the  cabins  amidships,  and  scattered 
their  different  parts  over  an  area  of  a  half  mile. 

All  that  night,  and  many  succeeding  nights,  her  wreck  presented  a  beautiful 
sight,  a  red  hot  mass  of  twisted  iron  and  steel.  The  store  room,  amidships, 
smouldered  for  some  two  weeks  and  she  was  not  cool  enough  to  board,  even 
in  a  haty  quest  for  relics,  for  ten  days. 

The  little  island  upon  which  we  found  ourselves  was  eight  bv  five  miles  in 
extent.  As  every  one  knows  it  was  the  last  home  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  His 
grave  is  marked  by  a  small  inclosed  plot  of  ground  some  fifty  feet  square,  in 


46 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


the  center  of  which  is  a  perfectly  plain  flat  stone  covering  the  empty  sarco¬ 
phagous.  There  was  no  tablet  or  plate  to  designate  that  it  belonged  to  any  one 
in  particular,  but  the  little  old  Boor,  a  veteran  of  the  South  African  campaigns, 
and  now  caretaker  of  the  old  Napoleon  House  and  grave  lot,  is,  however,  most 
unusually  well  posted  on  all  points  of  interest  in  Napoleon’s  life. 

Bonaparte’s  old  home  is  situated  on  Longwood,  a  most  beautiful  little 
plateau  with  mountains  of  no  small  size  on  every  hand.  Until  his  arrival  the 
house  had  been  the  residence  of  the  late  governor.  It  contains  a  bust  of 
Napoleon,  made  from  a  cast  taken  immediately  after  his  death,  which  is  raised 
around  on  the  spot  where  his  bed  stood.  In  1857  the  inclosure  called  the  Old 
House  was  conveyed  by  Her  late  Majesty’s  Government  to  Napoleon  III,  and 
it  was  then  restored  to  resemble,  as  near  as  possible,  its  appearance  in  1815. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  island  are  all  black,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
white,  men  such  as  the  governor,  his  officials,  and  'a  few  Boors.  They  number 
altogether,  some  three  thousand  souls  and  are  a  very  good  and  kindhearted  set 
of  people.  The  bulk  of  the  food  supply  is  brought  to  them  by  mail  boats  once 
a  month  and  when  four  hundred  hungry  stomachs  were  brought  in,  it  was  only 
a  space  of  some  two  weeks  before  fish  became  the  sole  meat  diet,  and  other 
things  such  as  flour,  rice,  butter  ect.  became  scarce. 

Twenty-eight  days  later,  however,  brought  a  mail  steamer  from  Cape  Town 
to  London  and  we  were  picked  up  and  brought  back  to  England.  On  our  home¬ 
ward  trip  we  touched  Ascension  Island  and  picked  up  ten  mamouth  turtles  for 
the  London  markets.  We  touched  again  at  Teneriffe  and  Los  Palmos  and  a  little 
rough  weather  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  made  a  pleasant  ending  to  a  somewhat  un¬ 
usual  experience. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


4  7 


J.  E.  FRANK  and  R.  E.  MEANY 


GETTING  AN  EDUCATION  (not  at  lane) 

My  Dear  Father : — 

Have  been  in  bed  three  days  and  not  able  to  write  sooner,  or  I  would  have 
told  you  about  a  slight  hazing  scuffle  I  was  in.  Escaping  my  “warden”  one 
evening,  I  strolled  off  towards  the  woods  to  spend  a  quiet  hour  in  “study.” 
As  luck  would  have  it,  I  bumped  into  a  party  of  hazers.  Grappling  with  me 
in  their  rough  and  ready  manner,  they  tore  my  beautiful  little  Norfolk  jacket 
right  up  the  back.  Painting  a  blue  forget-me-not  under  one  hazer’s  eye,  and 
then  drawing  out  a  copy  of  Colt’s  “How  to  Ventilate  the  Human  Body,”  I  pro- 
ceded  to  reason  with  those  “brutes.”  But  all  to  no  avail,  for  brains  they  had,  nix. 

I  woke  up  to  “find  myself  being  bent  over,”  by  a  doctor  (I  suppose  he 
was  trying  to  straighten  me  out).  After  administering  a  subcutaneous  mor¬ 
phine  squirt  in  my  left  arm,  and  prescribing  a  change  of  scene  and  rest,  this 
“veterinarian”  left  for  his  next  victim.  I  learned  afterward  that  I  nearly  got 
both  the  change  of  “scene  and  rest,”  but  I  finally  pulled  through,  and  this  “horse- 
doctor”  lost  his  commission  from  the  cemetery  company. 

By  the  way,  father,  it  is  getting  to  be  the  style  down  here  to  go  about  with 
a  girl;  do  you  think  it  advisable  for  me  to  do  likewise?  It  helps  considerably 
in  school  work,  and  one  would  only  cost  me  about  five  dollars  a  week.  Til  be 
satisfied  with  one,  although  some  of  the  fellows  have  two  or  three.  I  also  want 
a  little  money  to  buy  a  baseball  suit,  a  boat-paddling  suit,  a  lawn-tennis  suit, 
and  a  roller-rinktum  suit.  Please  send  remuneration  with  next  letter. 

Your  studious  son, 

A.  Big  Bluff. 


48 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Adminestering  a  subcutaneous  squirt. 


My  Dear  Son: — 

Your  pensive  favor  of  the  ioth  instant  asking  for  more  means  with  which 
to  persecute  your  “studies,”  is  at  hand  and  carefully  noted.  Be  careful  not  to 
get  in  any  more  fights,  for  not  only  is  it  shameful  and  degrading,  but  you 
invariably  get  the  worst  of  it. 

Regarding  that  girl  you  speak  about,  I  want  to  give  you  a  little  advice. 
My  boy,  don’t  let  some  slip  of  a  girl,  with  a  pretty  figure  and  some  paint  and 
powder  spattered  all  over  her  face,  make  you  think  she  loves  you,  let  alone 
you  loving  her.  She  is  using  you  for  bait,  wants  you  to  spend  money  on  her 
and  show  her  a  good  time.  But  if  you  think  one  is  really  necessary  for  an 
education,  go  ahead  and  don’t  mind  the  expense.  I  guess  I  can  stand  it  this 
winter,  without  underclothes,  but  when  you  get  through  with  that  baseball-suit, 
that  lawn-tennis  suit.,  that  roller-rinktum  suit,  and  that  boat-paddling  suit,  I 
wish  you  would  send  them  home,  so  that  I  can  wear  them. 

Now  concerning  your  studies,  f  received  a  very  unwelcome  letter  from 
your  professor,  stating  the  “fluctuation  in  your  study  market,”  and  my  darling 
boy,  I  advise  you  to  get  a  hump  on  yourself  in  the  near  future.  Perhaps  the 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


49 


most  discouraging  thing  to  a  parent,  is  to  be  informed  of  his  son’s  failure  in 
school,  but  as  you  still  have  a  chance,  a  very  good  chance  at  that,  I  want  you 
to  “brace  up”  and  take  a  new  hold  on  your  studies.  Your  professor  states  that 
you  averaged  forty  for  the  first  quarter.  Well  that  isn’t  bad.  Just  see  that 
you  average  forty  for  the  second  quarter,  my  boy,  which  will  then  bring  your 
mark  up  to  eighty.  Then  things  will  look  a  little  better. 

Your  father, 

Knott  A.  Bluff. 


—  It  helps  considerably  in  school  work. 


THE  FLUNKER 

Deem  not  when  Lane  her  five  weeks’  card  bestows 
The  tribe  of  Indians  are  exempt  from  woes. 

See,  when  the  studious  ’scape,  despised  and  awed 
The  hunker  takes  his  card,  none  to  applaud, 

Marked  out  by  bright  red  marks,  he  meets  the  shock, 
And  fatal  Bogan  leads  him  to  the  block. 

Around  his  tomb  will  no  one  shed  a  tear? 

Oh,  heed  his  death,  ye  boneheads ;  work  and  fear ! 

—  Windrow. 


50 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


We  (Peterson  and  I)  had  arrived  at  college  in  September,  as  “green”  as 
it  is  possible  for  even  freshmen  to'  be.  We  had  taken  up  the  regular  Freshman 
engineering  course,  and  had  broken  in  upon  a  life  very  different  from  that  which 
we  were  used  to.  Two  months  of  it  had  passed  successfully  and  we  were  just 
beginning  to  become  accustomed  to  it.  We  had  felt  uncomfortable  in  October, 
the  hazing  month ;  but  now  it  was  safely  over  and  we  were  beginning  to  breathe 
more  freely  again,  and  to  feel  that  we  could  go  to  bed  at  night  wtihout  fear 
as  to  how  or  from  what  cause  we  should  awaken. 

The  particular  evening  that  I  have  in  mind  was  in  the  latter  part  of  Novem¬ 
ber.  The  fall  activities,  football  and  initiations,  were  practically  over,  and  every¬ 
body  was,  or  at  least  should  have  been,  beginning  to  “knuckle  down”  for  the 
winter’s  work.  I  had  just  come  in  from  the  place  where  I  worked  during  meal 
hours,  and  having  a  lot  of  studying  to  do,  settled  down  immediately  to  “grind.” 
My  whereabouts,  my  surroundings,  and  even  the  persistent  lonesome  and  home¬ 
sick  feeling  were  all  forgotten ;  I  was,  indeed,  studiously  inclined.  I  had  been 
studying  thus  for  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  when  Peterson  stalked  in, 
threw  off  his  coat  and  cap,  sat  down  in  a  rocker,  folded  his  hands  behind  his 
head,  crossed  his  legs,  and  after  making  himself  perfectly  comfortable,  said 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


5i 


languidly,  “I  never  felt  less  like  studying  in  my  life  than  I  do  tonight.”  I  was, 
however,  too  busy,  or  at  least  pretended  to  be  so,  to  answer  him. 

After  about  fifteen  minutes,  during  which  time  he  had  apparently  been 
trying  to  chose  between  the  inviting  bed  and  the  dreary  study-table,  he  con¬ 
tinued,  “But  sitting  here  won’t  prepare  me  for  recitation  tomorrow,  so  here 
goes  for  work.”  Suiting  the  action  to  the  words,  therefore,  he  arose,  came  over 
to  the  table,  and  sat  down.  Soon  all  was  as  still  as  before.  Everything  around 
us  was  forgotten  and  all  that  we  thought  of  was  the  work  that  we  were  trying 
to  prepare. 

However,  we  were  not  destined  to  continue  long,  for  suddenly  and  without 
the  least  warning,  the  lights  went  out.  “D —  it ! !  Who  in  thunder  is  at  that 
switchboard  now?”  exclaimed  my  companion,  and  I  arose  and  groped  my  way 
to  the  door  with  the  intention  of  seeking  the  answer  to  this  question. 

I  opened  the  door  and  rushed  forward  into  the  dark  hallway  toward  the 
switchboard,  only  to  run  into  an  old  bookcase  which  had  been  placed  in  my  way. 
The  thing  fell  over,  and  I  went  sprawling  into  what  seemed  to  me  to  be  virtu¬ 
ally  a  labyrint  of  shelves  and  glass-less  doors.  To  complete  my  discomfiture, 
the  lights  were  turned  on  at  this  moment,  and  I  beheld  Berry  and  Bristol  (the 
other  student  roomers)  standing  at  the  switch-board  and  laughing  to  their  hearts’ 
content  at  my  predicament.  I  got  up  from  the  ruins,  put  the  pieces  together 
as  well  as  I  could,  placed  the  whole  back  where  it  belonged,  and,  muttering 
something  to  Berry  and  Bristol  about  wanting  to  study,  went  back  to  resume 
my  work. 

I  had  just  about  started  again  when  the  lights  were  turned  out  for  a 

second  time.  “What  the - ,”  exclaimed  Peterson  and  I  in  unison,  and  rushed 

out  into  the  hallway  intent  upon  punishing  the  culprit.  But  we  might  just  as 
well  have  kept  cool,  for  the  joke  was  not  being  played  on  us  this  time,  but 
rather  upon  Bristol.  He,  evidently,  wanted  to  study  also,  but  Berry  preferred 
“having  some  fun  with  someone,”  as  he  put  it.  However,  either  Bristol  was  not 
in  very  much  of  a  hurry,  or  else  he  could  use  his  slide  rule  in  the  dark,  for 
the  attempt  to  provoke  him  to  anger  did  not  succeed,  at  least  not  perceptibly ; 
and  Berry,  evidently  tired  of  the  monotary,  soon  turned  the  lights  on  again. 
But  now  it  was  time  for  me  to  go  and  “stack  up”  my  furnace  for  the  night. 
I  went  on  this  errand,  leaving  the  place  as  still  as  could  be. 

But  while  I  was  gone,  things  happened.  Berry,  evidently  succeeded  in 
arousing  Bristol,  for  that  “studious  junior”  after  chasing  him  all  over  our  part 
of  the  house,  finally  cornered  him  in  our  room.  Berry  was  not  caught,  however, 
for  he  succeeded  in  slamming  and  locking  the  door  before  his  pursuer  could 
prevent  him.  He  then  removed  the  transom,  and  soon  a  continuous  stream  of 
pillows,  old  clothes,  folded  newspapers,  shoes,  and  nearly  everything  else  avail¬ 
able  was  passing  back  and  forth  through  the  opening  at  “sixty  miles  per.”  As 
I  was  not  there  to  protect  my  belongings,  these  were,  of  course,  taken  first,  and 


52 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


some  of  them  were  promptly  taken  away  and  hidden  by  Bristol ;  so  that  when 
I  returned  and  began  to  collect  my  scattered  possessions,  I  could  not  find  two 
of  my  shoes.  While  I  was  ransacking  the  place  in  an  effort  to  find  these,  Berry 
and  Bristol  became  friends,  owing  to  the  common  cause  which  they  now  had 
against  me.  I  was,  therefore,  soon  informed  that  my  shoes  were  out  on  the 
roof  over  the  back  porch,  and  that  if  I  wanted  them  I  would  have  to  get  them 
myself. 

The  only  way  to  get  to  this  roof  was  through  the  windows,  and  I  was 
determined  to  have  my  shoes,  I  crawled  through  one  of  these  out  upon  the  roof. 


But  no  sooner  was  I  out,  than  Berry  quickly  closed  and  locked  the  window, 
thereby  cutting  off  my  only  visible  means  of  retreat.  I  searched  the  whole  roof 
for  my  shoes,  but  could  only  find  one,  so  I  sat  down  to  consider  my  position 
and  contrive  some  method  of  escape.  My  room-mate  was  powerless  against 
both  Berry  and  Bristol,  and  to  await  their  pleasure  would  be  tedious,  indeed. 
So,  help  from  within  was  out  of  the  question.  The  roof  was  at  least  twenty-five 
or  thirty  feet  high,  and  the  nature  of  the  ground  below  indiscernible.  So  jumping 
was  also  not  to  be  thought  of.  There  I  was  on  a  slanting  roof ;  my  desire  was 
to  get  in  the  house ;  but  how  was  I  to  accomplish  this  ?  Suddenly,  the  idea 
struck  me  that  the  roof  certainly  had  pillars  of  some  kind,  and  that  I  might  be 
able  to  slide  down  one  of  these.  It  was  worth  investigating  at  any  rate.  So  I 
went  to  one  of  the  corners  and  slid  over  the  edge,  feet  foremost.  Gradually 
letting  myself  down  in  this  way,  I  managed  to  get  hold  on  a  post,  by  the  aid  of 
which  I  succeeded,  partly  by  sliding  and  partly  bv  falling,  in  reaching  the  ground, 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


53 


when  the  first  thing  I  touched  was  my  other  shoe.  I  made  my  way  through 
the  dark  to  the  front  entrance,  and,  to  my  surprise,  also  reached  my  room 
without  further  interference. 

I  don’t  know  what  came  over  Berry  and  Bristol  so  suddenly,  for  they  did 
not  disturb  us  any  more  that  night.  It  may  have  been  that  they  had  had  enough 
foolishness  for  one  evening,  but  it  is  more  likely  that  they  became  suddenly 
aware  of  the  fact  that  a  little  preparation  for  the  morrow’s  recitation  would 
not  be  amiss,  and,  therefore,  settleddown  to  “bone”  for  a  while.  Peterson  and 
I,  however,  decided  to  go  to  bed,  and  rely  on  our  luck  and  ready  wit  in  our 
recitation  on  the  morrow. 


THE  COLLEGE  FACULTY 

Perhaps  about  our  faculty 

You’ve  heard  a  thing  or  two; 

With  Bogan  in  the  office 

There  is  no  room  for  you. 

With  Evans  up  in  Chem.  Lab. 

And  James  in  good  old  Dutch, 

With  Atkinson  in  English, 

There  is  not  hope  for  much. 

With  Heritage  as  Dean  here 
(A  good-sized  one  at  that) — 

And  say,  between  us  two,  dear, 

He  wears  an  eighteen  hat. 

With  'a  teacher  in  machine  shop 
Who  sure  does  make  us  Frieze, 

For  credits  now  we  lively  hop 
And  feel  like  so  much  cheese. 

With  Wallace  up  in  drawing, 

Many  a  boy  goes  mad. 

Now,  since  all  of  this  is  really  true 
The  Freshman’s  tale  is  sad. 

I  thank  you,  gentle  readers,  dear, 

For  your  attention  kind. 

About  the  author  have  no  fear 

As  I  am  sane  of  mind.  —  Wtndrow. 


54 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


A  FEW  LIMERICKS 

A  college  professor  named  Bogan, 

In  Lane  Tech  High,  sure  was  no  slow  gun ; 
“A  fine  college  class, 

That  no  school  can  pass,” 

Was  this  president’s  favorite  slogan. 

Miss  Atkinson,  teacher  in  Lane  Tech, 

Knows  good  college  English  by  the  peck, 
She  never  was  known 
A  slang  phrase  to  own, 

And  never  used  such  words  as  “by  heck.” 

“Lew”  Wallace  keeps  fellows  a  hestling, 
They’ve  no  time  for  joshing  and  jestling; 
Besides  teaching  drawing, 

Geometrical  sawing, 

He  is  the  instructor  in  wrestling. 

An  electric  shop  teacher  named  Bowman, 
Propelled  an  enormous  abdomen. 

And  if  you  would  be 
Half  as  heavy  as  he, 

You  bet  your  life,  you’ll  have  to  grow,  man. 

The  man  who  takes  care  of  reports, 

A  fellow,  you  bet,  who  supports 
All  athletics  with  vim, 

Take  your  hat  off  to  him ! 

Albert  Evans,  the  man  who  runs  sports. 

A  Philosophy  Doctor  named  James, 

Trails  after  him  long  college  names; 

M.  A.,  Ph.  D., 

Maybe  more  we  don’t  see, 

And  they  all  represent  many  fames. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


55 


There  was  a  school  teacher  named  Beebe, 

No  engineer  greater  than  he  be. 

If  it  were  not  for  him 
With  his  spirit  and  vim, 

Oh,  where  in  the  thunder  would  we  be? 

A  fellow  whose  name  was  John  Dig, 
Whose  soul  now,  is  not  worth  a  fig; 

Now  lies  ’neath  a  stone, 

A  corpse  —  skin  and  bone, 

For  Heritage  had  him  in  Trig. 

—  Hammersmark. 


Sing  a  song  of  Freshman, 

Why,  Lane  is  full  of  them.  ' 

Besides  the  first-year  ones  we  have, 

We’ve  old  ones,  born  again.  —  Windrow. 

Heritage  is  the  big  Dean, 

Miss  Atkinson’s  the  queen, 

Bogan  is  the  president, 

A  better  never  seen. 

James  he  gives  the  German, 

And  Knockenmuss  the  Gyms, 

But  Evans  is  the  chaplain 

And  in  the  Chem.  Lab.  leads  the  “hims.” 

—  Windrow. 

A  maiden  met  a  youth  so  bold. 

“Where  goest  thou  ?”  said  she ; 

And  when  he  told  her  in  her  ear, 

She  whispered:  “Oh,  dear  me, 

I’d  like  to  be  a  boy  myself, 

And  on  the  campus  root 
For  this  great  big  new  college; 

The  only  Institute.”  —  Windrow. 


56 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


“THE  FUNNY  FRESHMAN” 

The  College  “Fresh”  with  freckled  face, 
With  hair  of  crimson  hue, 

Was  standing  out  on  second  base 
To  see  that  none  got  through. 


He  played  the  game  with  zest  and  zeal 
And  watched  each  play  with  care, 
But  when  a  runner  tried  to  steal, 

This  watchful  lad  was  there. 


He  caught  with  skill,  and  threw  with  strength 
That  rivaled  Cole’s  for  speed ; 

But  when  it  came  to  base’s  length, 

’Twas  nothing  for  this  steed. 


In  swimming,  too,  this  lad  excelled, 

A  reg’lar  duck  was  he; 

In  ‘quatic  meets  success  was  spelled 
When  “Freckles”  splashed  in  glee. 


His  breath  was  inexhaustible ; 

With  strength  that  shunned  fatigue, 
He’d  fool  the  county  constable 

With  tricks  known  in  the  league. 


But  when  in  school  things  take  a  turn, 
Red  ink  upon  the  card, 

And  easy  subjects  he  should  learn 
Are  simply  too  d —  hard. 


A.  W.  Hester,  jr. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


57 


THE  ROLLING  MILLS 

WRITTEN  ILLUSTRATED 

GEORGE  B SCHUBERT. 


e3 


dCHUBERT 


Among  the  many  interesting  methods  employed  by  Chicago’s  numerous 
manufacturing  plants  in  completing  their  products,  is  the  process  used  by  a 
large  rolling  mill  in  transforming  old  and  seemingly  worthless  scrap  iron  into 
new  and  useful  articles  again.  From  the  various  kinds  of  old  iron  such  as 
horseshoes,  chains,  bolts,  nuts,  spikes,  rails,  etc.,  two  of  the  most  valuable  ar¬ 
ticles  to  the  commercial  world  are  produced.  They  are  the  railroad  fastenings  ; 
namely,  the  tie  plates  and  angle  bars  as  they  are  called.  The  numerous  kinds 
of  materials  which  are  used  for  manufacturing  these  products  are  bought  at 
various  points  throughout  the  United  States,  and  shipped  to  the  mills  by  the 
carload.  Upon  their  arrival  they  are  first  weighed  to  insure  proper  Weight  by 
the  shipper,  and  then  emptied  into  bins  by  men  who  do  nothing  but  unload  these 
cars  as  they  come  into  the  mills. 

The  material  bins  into  which  the  iron  is  unloaded,  are  about  fifteen  feet 
square  and  have  a  capacity  of  about  five  forty  ton  carloads  of  iron.  The  bins 
are  arranged  under  a  low  flat  roofed  shed  about  a  block  in  length,  through  the 
center  of  which  is  a  passageway  about  twelve  feet  wide.  Down  this  passageway 
two  small  set  of  tracks  are  run,  so  that  small  trucks  may  be  used  to  transport 
the  material  to  the  piling  rooms ;  but  before  the  larger  sized  pieces  of  iron  may 
be  taken  to  the  piling  room,  they  must  be  cut  up  into  smaller  sizes  by  large 
shearing  machines  which  clip  the  iron  into  pieces  by  exactly  the  same  method 
that  the  jaws  of  a  pair  of  pliers  cut  up  a  piece  of  wire.  After  the  iron  is 
sheared  to  convenient  length,  it  is  ready  to  go  to  the  piling  room ;  so  called, 
because  in  this  room  the  iron  is  firmly  bound  into  large  piles  which  are  put 
into  the  furnaces. 


q8 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


This  piling  room,  which  is  adjacent  to  the  material  bins,  is  a  large  shed 
about  forty  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  and  twelve  feet  long.  The  small  sets 
of  tracks  which  run  along  the  passageway  between  the  material  bins,  are  con¬ 
tinued  down  the  center  of  the  piling  room ;  so  that  the  material  may  be  brought 
in  directly  on  the  trucks  and  unloaded  upon  the  elevations  which  extend  length¬ 
wise  along  both  walls  of  the  room  from  one  end  of  the  building  to  the  other. 
The  pilers  take  the  iron  from  these  elevations,  which  are  about  two  feet  high 
and  six  feet  wide,  thus  saving  them  the  trouble  of  stooping  for  each  piece  of 
iron,  which  has  to  be  carefully  and  firmly  arranged  into  what  is  called  the  box 
pile.  This  is  accomplished  by  putting  three  pieces  of  iron  into  a  trough  shaped 
form,  and  closely  piling  the  smaller  pieces  of  iron  within.  When  filled  to  the 
top  a  fourth  plate  is  placed  on  top,  and  the  whole  bundle  is  then  completed ; 
and  when  four  or  five  of  these  are  finished  they  are  placed  upon  *a  truck, 
weighed,  and  then  sent  to  the  furnaces. 

The  furnaces  are  of  low  rectangular  steel  construction,  their  dimensions 
being  about  10x10x20  feet.  In  the  front  are  small  sliding  doors  about  two 
feet  square,  which  open  vertically  by  means  of  a  set  of  levers  operated  from 
a  small  platform  at  the  corner  of  the  furnace.  The  iron  is  put  in  the  furnace 
through  these  doors,  and  heated  to  a  white  heat  by  a  raging  fire  fed  with  soft 
coal,  which  is  aided  in  its  task  by  a  powerful  blast.  After  about  an  hour  the 
iron  is  ready  to  be  taken  out  of  the  furnace,  but  before  this  is  done  a  little 
white  sea  sand  is  thrown  in  upon  the  iron.  This  sand  has  the  property  of  com¬ 
bining  with  objectionable  impurities  in  the  iron.  These  impurities  drop  to  the 
bottom  of  the  furnace  and  are  run  out  of  a  small  opening  into  small  trucks,  and 
then  allowed  to  cool. 

When  the  iron  is  ready  to  be  taken  from  the  furnace  by  far  the  most  in¬ 
teresting  part  of  the  process  takes  place,  for  during  rolling  time  it  is  no  easy 
task  for  the  mill  hands.  Two  large  muscular  men  take  up  tongs  about  fifteen 
feet  long  which  are  suspended  from  an  overhead  trolley,  and  proceed  to  the 
door  in  which  the  white  heated  bundle  of  iron  is  to  be  taken  out.  They  thrust 
the  long  tongs  into  the  furnace  and  secure  a  firm  grip  upon  the  bundle  of  iron. 
Then  they  bear  their  full  weight  upon  the  thongs  and  by  means  of  the  leverage 
gained  from  the  overhead  suspension,  pull  the  iron  out  of.  the  furnace.  These 
men  then  turn,  and  with,  the  greatest  haste  make  their  way  to  the  roll  train 
with  the  bundle  of  hot  iron. 

This  roll  train  consists  of  sets  of  steel  rolls  about  one  and  one -half  feet 
in  diameter,  which  when  set  in  place  in  the  large  frame  work  are  about  fifty 
feet  in  length.  It  is  driven  by  direct  connection  with  a  six  hundred  horse 
power  engine,  which  operates  the  large  rolls  similar  to  the  rollers  on  an  ordinary 
clothes  wringer.  The  rolls  are  kept  running  continually  during  working  hours, 
and  when  the  run-downs  reach  the  roll  train  they  deliver  the  iron  into  the  care 
of  the  roll  hands.  These  hands  consist  of  a  head  roller ;  who  has  charge  of 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


59 


the  rolling  process ;  two  catchers  who  take  care  of  the  iron  on  its  first  few  trips 
to  the  rolls ;  and  four  or  five  hookers  who  manage  the  iron  on  its  last  few  trips 
through  the  rolls,  by  means  of  long  hooks  suspended  from  the  roof  of  the 
building  by  heavy  chains. 

But  now  the  red  hot  iron  is  going  through  the  rolls.  As  it  does  so,  a 
shower  of  sparks  some  of  which  fly  a  hundred  feet  is  seen  to  burst  forth. 
Simultaneously  a  loud  report  like  the  explosion  of  a  hugh  cannon  cracker  is 
heard,  which  reminds  one  more  of  a  Fourth  of  July  celebration  than  of  a  rolling 
mill.  But  now  the  iron  is  coming  back  through  the  rolls  again.  Immediately 
the  catcher  steps  up  and  prepares  to  manage  the  iron  when  it  gets  through, 
by  means  of  a  pair  of  tongs  about  three  feet  long.  Again  and  again  the  iron 
is  put  through  the  rolls,  each  time  becoming  smaller  in  diameter  but  greater 
in  length.  It  is  now  prepared  for  its  final  trip.  This  last  set  of  rolls  makes  the 
desired  impression  in  the  hot  iron ;  an  impression  which  one  may  afterward 
see  when  it  becomes  cool. 

As  the  iron  leaves  the  rolls  for  the  last  time,  it  is  automatically  carried  by 
means  of  revolving  rollers,  to  what  is  known  as  the  hot  bed.  This  is  a  sort  of 
platform  about  fifty  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  made  up 
of  long  rails  supported  about  two  feet  from  the  ground.  The  iron  which  is 
now  about  thirty  feet  long,  is  placed  upon  this  platform  where  it  is  allowed 
to  cool ;  partly  of  its  own  accord,  and  partly  by  the  aid  of  water  which  is 
sprinkled  upon  the  hot  iron  to  hurry  along  the  process.  After  the  long  bar 
of  iron  (which  consists  of  about  fifty  small  plates)  is  cooled,  it  is  sheared  into 
single  plates  by  two  large  shearing  machines.  The  plates  are  then  loaded  upon 
a  truck  and  taken  to  the  punch  room  where  they  are  completed. 

This  punch  room  is  a  spacious  building  containing  the  large  punch  ma¬ 
chines  which  perforate  the  holes  in  the  tie  plates  and  angle  bars,  so  that  the 
spikes  and  bolts  may  be  used  in  making  the  rail  connections.  The  large  truck 
loads  of  angle  bars  and  tie  plates  are  brought  in  and  placed  beside  the  punch 
madhines.  They  may  then  be  conveniently  taken  off  and  handed  to  the  punch 
machine  operators.  After  the  required  holes  have  been  punched  in  the  plates, 
they  are  practically  complete. 


A  ROLL,  TRAIN 

TH 15  ROLL  TRAIN  WHICH  15  USED  FOR  MAKING-  ROUND  AnP  SQUARE  RODS 
15  51  FI ] LIAR  TO  THE  ONE  IA5 ED  FOR  ROLLING  TRACK  FASTEN/NGS 


6o 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


Corner  in  Machine  Shop. 


THE  POL Y  T  EC  H  N I C 


61 


COLLEGE  ATHLETICS 

BY  W ALFRED  WALLGREN 

In  our  school,  athletics  have  an  important  place.  Athletic  competition  has 
been  recognized  as  being  the  best  stimulant  for  interest  in  physical  development 
and  also  as  having  a  distinct  value  of  its  own,  in  teaching  those  lessons  of  self- 
control  and  quickness  of  thought,  which  nowhere  else  can  be  learred  so  well. 
It  is  also  a  stimulant  for  interest  in  student  activity  and  the  physical  life  has 
therefore  not  been  neglected  but  has  received  its  rightful  share  of  attention. 
Within  the  school  we  have  class  games  which  give  nearly  every  student  a  chance 
to  test  his  ability,  and  a  healthy  spirit  of  rivalry  has  grown  up  among  the  various 
teams.  This  rivalry  arouses  a  general  and  active  interest  in  the  student  body. 

So  far  this  year  we  have  not  played  any  outside  school  teams,  partly  be¬ 
cause  we  felt  that  we  lacked  experience  and  partly  because  we  were  not  strong 
enough.  Next  year,  however,  we  expect  to  turn  out  a  team  in  nearly  every 
line  of  sport  and  these  will  play  with  the  teams  of  other  colleges.  First  in 
line  of  these  sports  comes  football.  Last  September  we  were  out  a  few  times 
for  football  practice,  but  we  had  to  give  it  up  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  were 
only  twelve  in  the  college  class.  At  this  time  we  received  a  challenge  from 
Crane,  —  which  has  also  a  two  years  college  course,  — :  to  an  annual  game  of 
football  to  take  place  on  Thanksgiving  day  of  each  year.  This  will  establish  a 
rivalry  between  the  Board  of  Education’s  two  colleges,  similar  to  that  which 
exists  between  the  country’s  two  training  schools,  Annapolis  and  West  Point. 
Next  in  turn  comes  basket-ball.  The  members  of  the  basket-ball  team  had 
never  played  together  before  and  some  of  the  members  had  had  very  little  ex¬ 
perience  in  the  game.  Still,  working  under  these  difficulties  we  managed  to 
win  a  few  games  and.  although  we  did  not  get  the  inter-room  championship, 
still  we  had  a  great  deal  of  sport  out  of  it,  besides  getting  a  good  deal  of  ex¬ 
perience  which  will  be  needed  next  year.  The  basket-ball  season  was  followed 
by  the  baseball  season,  which  is  now  in  progress.  We  have  been  out  for  prac¬ 
tice  several  times  and  the  material  looks  promising.  We  will  play  as  many  games 
as  possible  this  season  and  round  the  team  up  in  first  class  form  so  that  next 
year  we  will  not  have  such  a  difficult  task  to  make  a  good  team.  In  sizing  up 
the  various  teams  from  a  critics  standpoint,  we  can  say  that  we  have  done  fairly 
well  this  year  but  we  hope  to  do  much  better  next  year. 


62 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


THE  CRYING  NEED  OF  CHICAGO  — AN  OUTER  HARBOR 

BY  W ALFRED  WALLGREN 
ILLUSTRATED  BY  EDGAR  LAWRENCE 

One  of  the  wonders  of  the  nineteenth  century  is  the  magical  growth  of  the 
city  of  Chicago.  What  was  once  a  small  trading  post  at  the  ruddy  mouth  of 
a  sluggish  stream  has  within  the  life  of  many  still  living  become  the  fifth  largest 
city  in  the  world.  This  great  city  is  destined  to  grow  in  the  future  as  much  as 
it  has  grown  in  the  past,  provided  plans  are  laid  down  to  promote  this'  destiny. 
It  is  therefore  very  urgent  and  imperative  that  some  action  should  be  taken  in 
this  direction  immediately,  for  delay  only  means  injury  to  the  welfare  of  the 
city. 

The  strategic  position  of  Chicago  accounts  for  this  marvelous  growth,  for  it 
is  situated  in  the  very  heart  of  a  great  lowlond..  This  rich  “hinterland”  includes 
the  greatest  farming  districts  in  the  world,  not  to  mention  the  large  coal  and 
ore  fields  that  give  great  wealth  to  this  district.  The  products  of  these  farms 
and  mines  are  shipped  to  Chicago  and  thence  to  other  points  of  the  world.  When 
the  farm  population  increased  and  better  and  more  intensive  methods  of  mining 
and  farming  were  adopted,  the  obvious  result  was  that  the  amount  of  shipping 
to  and  from  Chicago  correspondingly  increased. 

The  fact  that  the  city  lies  in  the  heart  of  a  great  farming  district  is  not  the 
only  reason  for  claiming  a  strategic  position,  for  St.  Louis  has  this  also;  but 
it  is  because  Chicago  is  situated  on  the  Great  Lakes.  A  great  deal  of  shipping 
is  done  on  the  lake  but  lately  there  has  been  a  decline  in  the  amount  of  lake 
shipping  done  by  Chicago,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  harbor  and  river  improve¬ 
ments  have  not  kept  pace  with  the  rapid  growth1  of  the  city.  A  review  of  the 
the  following  list,  which  was  taken  from  the  report  of  the  Harbor  Commission 
of  1909,  will  show  that  the  total  tonnage  of  receipts  and  shipments  has  decreased. 


1889 . 

. 10,994,036 

tons 

1898... 

. 7,391,654 

tons 

1890 . 

. 7.209,514 

tons 

1899... 

. 6,089,364 

tons 

1891 . 

. 7.214.765 

tons 

1900... 

. 5,873,070 

tons 

1892. . 

. 8,412,992 

tons 

1901... 

. 6,184,242 

tons 

1893 . 

. 7.958,963 

tons 

1902... 

. 5,215,044 

tons 

00 

. 7,209,236 

tons 

1903... 

. 6,105,554 

tons 

1895 . 

. 7<2  05,942 

tons 

1904... 

. 4,446,071 

tons 

1896 . 

. 6,699,918 

tons 

1905... 

GJ 

00 

00 

b 

8 

tons 

1897 . 

— -7,i49,759 

tons 

1906... 

. 5,01 1,786 

tons 

1907... 

CO 

6 

00 

c?\ 

■4 

tons 

THE  POLYTECHNIC 


63 


64 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


It  can  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  city  must  have  an  improved  harbor,  so 
that  we  will  not  have  a  decrease  but  rather  a  steady  increase  in  the  amount  of 
shipping  done.  There  are  many  other  cities  on  the  Lakes  that  have  much  better 
harbors  than  we,  and  if  we  do  not  immediately  improve  our  harbor  we  will 
soon  lose  our  supremacy  as  a  trade  center. 

There  is  another  very  important  reason  for  improving  and  enlarging  our 
harbor,  and  this  is  that  in  the  near  future  the  commerce  on  the  Great  Lakes 
will  increase  rapidly,  for  two  new  routes  to  the  sea  are  being  planned.  These 
two  routes  will  bring  the  ports  of  the  Great  Lakes  in  direct  communication  with 
the  ports  of  the  world.  The  first  of  these  routes  is  the  one  planned  by  the 
Canadian  government  to  extend  from  the  Georgian  Bay  to  Lake  Nipissing  and 
thence  down  the  Ottowa  river  to  Montreal.  This  canal  will  bring  the  Chicago 
port  practically  in  line  of  a  great  circle  with  Liverpool,  making  the  distance 
between  the  two  ports  774  miles  shorter  than  it  is  now.  The  other  route  to  the 
sea  is  the  Deep  Waterway  canal  from  Chicago  to  the  Illinois  river,  thence  down 
the  Mississippi  to  the  Gulf.  This  will  bring  Chicago  in  closer  touch  with  New 
Orleans,  and  when  the  Panama  Canal  is  completed  and  China  awakens  from  its 
lethargy,  a  vast  and  unknown  market  will  be  opened.  We  must,  therefore,  plan 
for  a  great  destiny  and  like  prophets  that  can  look  into  the  future,  lay  the 
foundations  for  our  coming  commercial  welfare. 

The  question  that  now  comes  up  is  how  can  we  improve  our  harbor  and  lay 
the  foundation  for  our  future  commercial  prosperity?  This  question  the  city 
must  face  squarely  and  revive  the  “I  will”  spirit  of  the  World’s  Fair.  A  harbor 
should  be  planned  that  will  be  a  credit  to  the  second  greatest  city  in  the  United 
States  and  the  fifth  largest  city  in  the  world.  There  are  two  different  opinioins 
as  to  the  improvement  of  our  harbor,  first  the  widening  of  the  river  to  250 
feet,  thereby  forming  an  “inner  harbor” ;  and  the  second,  the  Outer  Harbor 
plan.  These  two  radically  different  ideas  as  to  the  Chicago  harbor  have  been 
discussed  pro  and  con  by  many  prominent  merchants,  business  men,  and  en¬ 
gineers,  and  the  final  result  has  been  that  an  Outer  Harbor  for  the  city  has  been 
favored  by  most  of  them. 

The  Chicago  Harbor  Commission  which  was  created  by  Mayor  Busse  in 
1909,  studied  this  question  thoroughly  and  collected  data  from  all  available 
sources  as  to  the  different  methods  of  creating  adequate  harbor  facilities.  The 
members  of  this  commission  consulted  shipowners,  merchants,  and  business  men 
to  get  their  views  on  the  subject,  and  in  March  1909  this  commission  published 
an  exhaustive  report.  In  the  summary  of  recommendations  in  this  report,  in 
connection  with  the  lake  front  improvement,  are  these : 

(a)  Reserving  that  portion  of  the  lake  front  between  the  mouth  of  the 
Chicago  River  and  Chicago  Avenue  for  future  harbor  development. 

(b)  Constructing  piers  between  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River  and  Chicago 
Avenue  for  the  accomodation  of  passenger,  package-freight,  and  fruit  lines. 


Birds’eye  View  of  Proposed  Harbor. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


66 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


(c)  Reserving  that  part  of  the  lake  from  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River 
to  Randolph  Street  for  harbor  development. 

(d)  The  preparation  at  once  of  a  plan  designed  to  permit  the  creation  of  a 
lake  front  park  south  of  Grant  Park,  on  lines  which  shall  still  make  possible 
a  future  harbor  development  if  such  becomes  necessary. 

These  recommendations  were  studied  carefully  by  the  Chicago  Harbor  and 
Subway  Commissions  appointed  by  Mayor  Harrison.  They  also  studied  the 
reports  of  several  Federal  Engineers,  and  after  exhaustive  research  have  finally 
prepared  preliminary  plans  and  drawings  for  the  development  of  Outer  Harbor 
District  No.  i,  which  lies  between  Chicago  Avenue  and  the  river.  This  body 
of  expert  engineers  recognized  that  a  real  emergency  existed  in  regard  to 
proper  dockage  facilities  for  passenger  steamers  arriving  at  and  deporting  from 
Chicago.  Anyone  who  has  sailed  on  any  of  the  lake  steamers  knows  how 
difficult  it  is  to  get  a  landing  at  the  docks  and,  when  one  has  once  landed,  the 
difficulty  of  getting  to  a  car  line.  The  bridges  are  closed  between  five  and  seven 
in  the  evening  and  boats  like  the  Roosevelt  and  others  have  to  stay  out  until 
dark  before  arriving  at  their  docks.  In  addition  to  this,  the  towage  charges, 
and  loss  of  time  in  using  the  present  landings,  are  a  heavy  burden  on  all  the 
companies. 

On  the  other  hand,  with  proper  dockage  facilities  it  is  certain  that  trans¬ 
portation  companies,  doing  either  an  exclusively  passenger  or  combined  passen¬ 
ger  and  package-freight  business,  will  offer  increased  accommodations  to  the 
traveling  public.  Some  steamship  companies  are  planning  to  build  larger  and 
more  modern  steamers  but  they  cannot  get  dockage  accomodations.  Many  such 
large  steamers  run  between  Cleveland  and  Detroit,  and  that  is  why  Detroit 
handles  more  passengers  each  year  than  Chicago  does. 

Another  very  important  advantage  in  building  outer  piers  as  recommended 
by  the  Commission  is  the  avoidance  of  the  “bridge  nuisance”  by  the  vessel  in¬ 
terests,  pedestrians,  and  street  vehicles  'alike.  The  opening  and  closing  of  the 
bridges  that  span  the  Chicago  River  and  its  two  branches  has  caused  much  of 
the  delay  of  street  cars  and  elevated  trains  in  crossing  the  river.  These 
numerous  delays  have  created  public  sentiment  for  an  outer  harbor.  Both  freight 
and  passenger  traffic  are  subject  to  serious  interruptions  in  using  the  river  as 
a  navigable  stream.  The  “inner  harbor”  would  be  subject  to  these  bridge  de¬ 
lays  but  the  use  of  “outer  harbor”  piers  would  greatly  lessen  the  interruption 
of  ordinary  traffic. 

For  these  reasons  the  Harbor  and  Subway  Commission  prepared  plans  for 
the  gradual  development  of  the  Outer  Harbor  District  No.  i.  This  plan  con¬ 
templates  the  building  of  five  piers  to  extend  eastward  from  the  shoreline  be¬ 
tween  Chicago  Avenue  and  the  river,  with  one  pier  3,000  feet  long,  and  a 
uniform  length  of  2,500  feet  for  the  other  four.  The  detailed  plans  are  for 
the  immediate  construction  of  two  of  these  piers,  one  for  freight  and  the  other 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


for  passengers,  at  a  cost  of  about  5,000,000  dollars.  The  freight  pier  is  to 
extend  eastward  from  the  foot  of  Huron  Street,  and  will  be  292  feet  wide.  In 
the  center  will  be  an  80  foot  roadway;  and  on  both  sides,  storage  sheds.  A 
300  foot  water  slip  will  separate  this  pier  from  the  passenger  pier.  On  the 
passenger  pier  the  superstructure  will  have  a  second  floor,  which  in  summer 
will  be  used  for  the  amusement  of  passengers,  but  in  winter  for  storage  space. 
The  outer  645  feet  of  the  passenger  pier  will  be  reserved  for  boats  with  an 
exclusively  passenger  traffic.  On  this  portion  of  the  pier  the  upper  decks,  and 
part  of  the  lower  deck,  will  be  reserved  for  recreation  purposes.  A  large 
rotunda  at  the  end  will  be  used  for  various  purposes  including  dancing,  summer 
band  concerts,  etc.  The  transportation  to  and  from  the  pier  is  to  be  cared  for 
also.  On  the  second  floor,  street  cars  will  go  out  to  the  end  of  the  pier  on  one 
side  of  the  roadway,  and  return  on  the  other  side.  This,  of  course,  necessitates 
additional  street  car  tracks  on  Ontario  Street,  on  St.  Clair  Street,  on  Chicago 
Avenue,  or  other  available  thoroughfare. 

The  handling  of  freight  at  the  freight  pier  is  a  little  more  difficult,  for  at 
present  there  is  only  one  railroad  —  the  Northwestern  —  that  has  switch  tracks 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  But  this  will  be  taken  care  of  by  having  other 
belt  lines  connect  with  the  pier.  On  this  pier  there  will  be  facilities  for  making- 
transfer  for  either  package  or  bulk  freight,  as  the  case  may  be,  to  railroad  cars. 
In  addition  to  this,  provision  will  be  made  for  bringing  the  freight  cars  of  the 
Illinois  Tunnel  Company  into  each  shed  on  both  piers.  The  railroads  and 
subway  will  handle  a  part  of  the  freight  and  the  rest  can  be  handled  by  the 
lighterage  boats  that  ply  the  river.  These  boats  will  be  designed  to  carry 
heavy  loads  but  will  be  low  enough  to*  pass  under  the  bridges  that  span  the 
river.  This  seems  the  best  way  to  handle  the  lake  freight  as  it  avoids  “bridge 
nuisance”  both  to  streetcars  and  pedestrians  alike. 

Chicago  is  to  be  the  metropolis  of  the  new  world  if  we  are  only  wise  enough 
to  make  it  so.  It  is  therefore  very  urgent  that  we  plan  for  a  great  and  pros¬ 
perous  future.  Nature  has  given  us  a  great  natural  opportunity  —  Lake  Mich¬ 
igan  —  and  it  is  for  us  to  use  this  opportunity  by  improving  our  harbor,  and 
making  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  practical  harbors 
of  the  world. 


68 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


ANALYSIS 

OF  COAL 

BY 

CIT  FELDMAN 


Without  coal  all  of  the  modern  inventions  and  up-to-date  machinery  would 
be  mere  fancies.  The  large  factories  and  mills,  the  immense  liners  and  high 
speed  locomotives,  all  would,  in  a  large  measure,  be  impracticable  without  coal. 
Soon  after  the  discovery  of  coal  a  slight  difference,  namely  the  hardness  and 
softness  of  coal  was  noticed.  Since  then,  however,  chemical  analysis  have  shown 
us  that  different  coals  differ  very  widely.  We  have  also  learned  that  these 
differences  make  the  coal  more  or  less  suitable  for  various  commercial  purposes, 
instance,  the  iron  smelter  must  have  coal  containing  the  smallest  possible  amount 
of  sulphur,  as  this  element  makes  the  iron  brittle  and  of  less  value.  Consumers 
who  intend  to  make  use  of  the  gaseous  elements  in  the  coal  must  certainly  avoid 
purchasing  coal  which  does  not  contain  a  large  per  cent  of  the  desired  gases. 
The  adaptability  of  coal  to  various  commercial  uses  can  only  be  determined  by 
chemical  analysis ;  thus  it  may  be  seen  that  the  chemistry  departments  of  all  fac¬ 
tories  aid  greatly  in  producing  the  high  efficiency  which  is  so  necessary  today. 

There  are  several  things  which  consumers  must  show  about  the  coal  they 
purchase.  The  manufacturer  who  uses  the  gaseous  products  of  the  coal  must 
know  the  amount  of  moisture  in  the  coal  he  intends  purchasing  so  that  he  may 
be  able  to  tell  whether  or  not  it  is  suitable  to  his  apparatus  as  well  as  to  his 
purposes.  As  moisture  still  exists  in  air-dried  coal  the  amounts  of  moisture 
cannot  even  be  estimated  by  simply  noting  the  appearance  of  the  coal.  To 
determine  the  proposition  of  moisture,  a  known  weight  of  coal  is  placed  in  an 
open  vessen,  and  heated  for  an  hour  in  an  oven  with  the  temperature  at  seven 
or  eight  degrees  above  the  boiling  point.  The  loss  of  weight  sustained  by  the 
subjection  to  heat  is  equal  to  the  weight  of  moisture  in  the  coal. 

There  are  several  reasons  why  consumers  desire  to  know  the  amount  of 
volatile  combustible  matter  in  the  coal.  Users  of  the  gases,  such  as  illuminating 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


69 


gas  plants,  must  know  whether  or  not  the  coal  contains  a  sufficient  amount  of 
the  desired  gases  to  warrant  its  purchase.  Then,  there  are  some  furnaces  which 
cannot  be  fed  with  coals  rich  in  gases,  and  so  the  owner  of  such  a  furnace 
must  have  some  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  coal  he  is  purchasing.  The  amount 
of  this  volatile  matter  is  determined  by  placing  one  gram  of  coal  in  a  Platinum 
crucible  having  a  tightly  fitting  cover  and  heating  it  in  the  reducing  bunsen 
flame  for  seven  minutes.  The  gases  are  thus  allowed  to  escape  and  burn,  but 
the  carbon  remains,  not  having  enough  Oxygen  to  burn.  The  loss  of  weight 
found  here  minus  the  weight  of  the  moisture  gives  the  weight  of  the  volatile 
matter.  This  determination  involves  the  same  principle  as  is  used  in  gas  plants 
in  the  manufacture  of  coal  and  coke.  The  residue  left  in  the  crucible  is  coke 
and  it  is  from  the  condition  of  this  that  the  coking  quality  is  judged. 

The  term  “volatile  matter”  is  not  applied  to  any  particular  class  of  com¬ 
pounds  and  a  variety  of  results  may  be  obtained  by  varying  the  length  of  time 
that  the  coal  is  heated.  However,  the  American  Chemical  Society  recommends 
seven  minutes  as  the  most  satisfactory  time  to  heat  one  gram  of  coal. 

It  is  very  desirable  for  all  consumers  to  know  the  amount  of  ash  in  the  coal 
they  intend  purchasing,  so  that  they  may  know  whether  or  not  it  is  of  the  best 
grade  obtainable.  The  value  of  this  knowledge  may  be  illustrated  by  the  fol¬ 
lowing  example.  Suppose  that  a  factory  has  bought  one  hundred  tons  of  coal 
containing  fifteen  per  cent  of  ash.  The  buyer  is  then  paying  freight  on  fifteen 
tons  of  a  substance  which  is  of  absolutely  no  value  to  him.  In  addition  to  this 
expense  he  must  pay  for  the  handling  of  it  to  the  mill  after  the  coal  has  been 
burned.  From  this  it  may  be  seen  that  careful  purchasing,  guided  by  the  results 
of  analysis,  will  save  the  consumer  many  thousands  of  dollars  annually.  The 
determinations  of  ash  are  very  easily  made.  A  known  weight  of  coal  is  burned 
in  an  open  vessel  until  all  the  carbon  has  burned  out.  The  weight  of  residue 
is  the  weight  of  ash. 

As  has  been  stated  before,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  iron  smelters  to 
know  the  amount  of  sulphur  in  the  coal  so  that  they  may  avoid  purchasing  a 
grade  which  would  injure  the  iron.  The  amount  of  sulphur  is  determined  by 
a  process  known  as  “Eschka’s  Method.”  By  this  method  the  coal  is  mixed  with 
Sodium  Carbonate  and  Magnesium  Oxide  and  heated.  When  the  carbon  has 
been  burned  out,  the  residue  is  boiled  with  water  and  Bromine  water.  This 
combines  the  Sulphur  and  Sodium  forming  Sodium  Sulphate  which  remains 
in  solution.  The  residue  is  filtered  out  and  the  filtrate  then  boiled  with  Hydro¬ 
chloric  Acid  to  remove  the  Bromine.  This  Sodium  Sulphate  solution  is  then 
treated  with  Barium  Chloride  and  the  Barium  Sulphate  precipitate  filtered  off. 
From  the  weight  of  this  the  amount  of  Sulphur  may  be  calculated.  This  is  a 
fairly  simple  method  and  the  results  are  accurate  if  the  work  is  accurately  done. 

When  it  became  known  that  some  coals  had  a  greater  heating  power  than 
others,  manufacturers  wanted  to  know  the  heating  power  of  coal  before  they 


70 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


purchased  it.  Buying  coal  according  to  heating  power  became  such  a  universal 
custom  that  today  commercial  coal  is  graded  according  to  heat  units.  By  this 
grading  a  manufacturer  is  able  to  buy  coal,  eighty-five  tons  of  which  will  heat 
his  boiler  as  much  as  one  hundred  tons  would  previously.  Originally  this  was 
computed  from  the  weight  otf  fixed  carbon  which  is  the  difference  between  the 
weights  of  coke  and  ash.  Another  method  is  now  in  use,  however,  one  which 
enables  a  chemist  to  carry  on  a  dozen  or  more  experiments  at  one  time.  An 
apparatus  known  as  a  Calorimeter  bomb  is  used.  A  known  weight  of  coal  and 
some  Sodium  Peroxide  are  placed  in  a  small  cylinder  which  is  set  revolving 
while  submerged  in  water  contained  in  a  tightly  covered  vessel.  The  coal  is 
ignited  by  electricity  and  is  oxidized  by  the  Peroxide.  The  Sodium  Oxide  then 
combines  with  the  carbon  dioxide  forming  Sodium  Carbonate.  This  oxidation 
of  the  coal  causes  considerable  heat  which  raises  the  temperature  of  the  water 
From  this  increase  in  temperature  the  number  of  heat  units  is  calculated. 

All  of  these  analysis,  especially  those  for  ash  and  heat  units,  are  very  com¬ 
mon  to  the  chemist  who  finds  a  wide  range  in  results.  The  ability  to  obtain 
these  facts  has  led  to  more  judicious  purchasing  and  to  higher  degree  of 
efficiency. 

The  following  table,  which  is  the  result  of  tests  made  in  our  laboratories 
this  year,  will  give  some  idea  as  to  the  relative  properties  of  these  two  specimens. 


VOLATILE  MATTER 


MOISTURE 


Screenings  (Indiana)  Forge  Coal 
9.46%  4.29% 

TTER  30.93%  !3-83% 


ASH 


SULPHLTR 


FIXED  CARBON 


41.31%  71. 38% 

14.88%  9.91% 

342%  0.59% 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


7i 


“I  wonder,”  said  the  Chief  Engineer  half  audibly,  as  he  leaned  back  in  his 
swivel  chair.  “I  wonder  if  I  dare  put  young  Hunter  in  Johnston’s  place.  As  far 
as  I  know,  he  has  made  a  success  of  everything  we’ve  given  him  so  far.  This 
last  work  of  his  has  been  especially  satisfactory.  On  the  other  hand,  though,  he 
is  rather  young  for  so  important  a  position.  However,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
he  has  been  with  us  for  three  years,  I  suppose  we  might  overlook  his  youth. 
But  there  is  another  thing  against  him.  I  think  I  remember  reading  only  re¬ 
cently,  the  announcement  of  his  engagement  to  old  Churchill’s  daughter.  Yet  I 
believe  I  will  call  him  in  anyhow.  I’ll  probably  be  able  to  tell  from  his  manner 
whether  or  not  I  can  trust  him.” 

Some  ten  minnutes  later  the  door  swung  open  and  a  tall  well-built  young 
man  entered  the  office.  Something  about  him  seemed  to  give  him  the  air  of 
having  just  come  from  the  shops,  but  his  alert  bearing  and  intelligent  manner 
raised  him  above  the  level  of  an  ordinary  mechanic.  The  Chief  Engineer  greet¬ 
ed  him  with  a  nod  that  contained  nothing  of  curtness,  and  motioned  him  to  a 
chair.  For  a  while  longer  there  was  silence,  during  which  the  Chief  seemed  to 
be  carefully  considering  two  papers  that  he  had  taken  from  his  desk.  Then  at 
last  he  swung  around  to  face  the  other  and  broke  the  silence. 

“Hunter”  he  said  slowly  “I  have  called  you  in  here  today  to  outline  a  pro¬ 
position  that  1  hope  you  will  accept.  I  wish  to  have  you  understand  before  I 
begin  that  any  action  on  your  part  will  be  entirely  voluntary.  The  very  last 
thing  the  company  desires  is  to  have  its  men  engaged  in  work  that  is  not  con¬ 
genial  to  them.  In  this  cace  in  particular,  it  is  imperative  that  the  man  who 
undertakes  the  work,  throws  himself  into  it  heart  and  soul.  And,  I  hope  you 
will  be  the  man. 

Briefly  then,  the  proposition  is  this.  The  government  has  let  contracts 


72 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


for  two  torpedo  boat  destroyers.  One  of  them  we  have  received;  the  other  has 
gone  to  the  Tyrrel  Company.  The  are  to  install  steam  turbinnes  with  a  gar- 
enteed  speed  of  thirty  six  knots  an  hour.  We,  of  course,  are  to  equip  our  boat 
with  oil  engins  having  a  similar  speed.  Now  it  is  generally  accredited  that 
the  company  which  builds  the  fastest  boat  will  get  the  future  contracts  for  en¬ 
gins.  The  Tyrrel  Company  is  backed  by  a  certain  political  ring  that  is  high 
in  government  favor  just  at  present,  and  whose  soul  interest  in  the  contract 
lies  in  the  fact  that  it  may  lead  to  richer  “plums.”  Accordingly  we  have  rea 
son  to  believe  they  will  endeavor  to  seriously  impede  our  work,  with  the  inten¬ 
tion  of  making  us  forfeit  our  contract. 

In  fact,  they  have  already  commenced  to  tamper  with  our  employees.  At 
first  we  placed  Johnston,  your  chief,  in  charge  of  the  work,  but  within  the  last 
few  days  we  have  received  information  that  has  compelled  us  to  remove  him 
from  our  service.  In  view  of  your  past  record,  ’’here  he  lifted  the  sheet  that 
he  had  taken  from  the  desk,“  we  feel  that  we  cannot  do  better  than  to  offer  you 
the  position.  On  account  of  the  tremendous  difficulties  that  lie  in  the  way,  I 
at  first  hesitated  to  handicap  you  in  a  new  position  by  making  your  first  work 
this  navel  contract.  Finally,  I  have  decided  to  leave  the  decision  with  you. 
In  any  case  the  position  of  Chief  Marine  Engineer  is  yours.  All  that  you  are 
asked  to  decide  now  is  whether  or  not  you  will  undertake  the  navel  contract 
work.” 

As  the  Chief  finished,  Hunter  rose  from  his  chair  and  walked  slowly  over 
to  the  window.  For  awhile  he  stood  gazing  unseeingly  out  into  the  busy  yard 
below.  Singularly  enough,  his  thoughts  dwelt  rather  upon  the  vision  of  John¬ 
ston’s  fall  than  upon  the  glorious  prospect  that  was  opening  before  him.  Into 
his  mind  crept  a  persistent  doubt  as  to  whether  he  could  succeed  where  the 
great,  the  brilliant  Johnston  had  failed.  In  his  own  way,  during  the  three 
years  Hunter  had  been  with  the  Dentons,  Johnston  had  managed  to  instil  into 
the  young  engineer’s  mind  more  real  technical  knowledge  than  five  years  in 
a  university  had  given  him.  Where  Johnston  was  weak  however,  Hunter  was 
strong,  and  his  strength  made  itself  evident  when  he  turned  once  more  to  his 
chief. 

“I  will  undertake  the  work,  ”he  said  quietly.  “If  headquarters  will  fulfill  my 
requisition  promptly.  I  think  I  can  guarantee  that  the  engines  will  be  finished 
on  time,  despite  the  Tyrrels  and  Methuselah  himself.” 

“Mr.  Hunter,”  said  the  Chief,  rising  impulsively  to  his  feet,“  Permit  me  to 
tender  you  my  heartiest  congratulations  upon  your  choice. ” 

After  the  two  men  had  solemnly  shaken  hands  across  the  desk,  the  Chief 
resumed  his  seat  and  his  ordinary  business  manner. 

“Well,”  he  said  after  a  brief  pause,  “I  will  expect  you  to  assume  charge 
immediately.  You  will  have  free  rein  in  all  the  shops  and  may  plan  che  work  to 
suit  yourself.  This  office  and  its  files  will  be  open  to  you  at  all  times  for  con¬ 
sultation  and  advice.  As  for  your  requistions,  I  can  personally  guarantee  that 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


73 


hey  will  have  preminence  adove  all  others  from  this  concern.  If  there  is  any¬ 
thing  else  you  may  need  come  directly  to  headquarters. 

The  week  following  his  appointment,  Hunter  was  so  rushed  with  work  that 
he  hardly  managed  to  snatch  an  hour’s  rest.  He  had  intended,  at  the  very  first 
opportunity  to  run  up  to  the  great  house  on  the  Avenue  where  a  certain  dainty 
black-haired,  blue_eyed  girl  looked  forward  day  by  day  to  his  coming. So  busy 
was  he  however,  that  no  opportunity  offered  during  the  first  week  and  he  was 
compelled  to  pospone  his  visit.  He  spent  his  time  mainly  in  the  drawing  rooms 
and  pattern  shops,  going  over  with  the  chief  Draughtsman  the  various  details 
of  the  design.  As  far  as  he  could  see,  it  differed  but  little  from  the  ord¬ 
inary  Denton  petroleum  engine.  The  connecting-rods,  he  found,  had  bee  re-de¬ 
signed  so  that  their  upper  ends  were  fastened  to  crossheads  instead  of  being 
directly  connected  to  the  pistons.  This  feature  had  necessarily  caused  the  chang 
ing  of  the  standards,  which  were  now  to  be  built  with  their  inner  surfaces  fixed 
so  as  to  serve  as  guides  for  the  new  crossheads.  In  general,  he  decided  the  des¬ 
ign  of  the  engine  more  nearly  that  of  a  vertical  reciprocating  steam  engine  than 
of  an  ordinary  gas  engine.  The  methods  cf  injecting  the  liquid  fuel,  controlling 
the  amount  of  oil  supplied  connecting  and  working  the  various  pumps,  and  all 
the  other  minor  details  were  substantially  the  same  as  in  the  standard  Denton 
engine  that  he  had  been  working  with  for  several  years. 

Meanwhile,  one  evening  toward  the  end  of  the  week,  Patricia  Churchill  sat 
idly  before  the  piano  in  the  music  room  of  the  great  house  on  the  Avenue,  occa¬ 
sionally  playing  exquisite  snatches  of  music  that  seemed  to  impart  a  subtle  air 
of  joyousness  to  the  gathering  twilight  in  the  room.  It  had  become  a  habit  of 
hers  of  late  to  haunt  the  music  room,  and  while  musing  on  the  happiness  that 
had  come  to  her  in  the  past  few  weeks,  spend  her  time  dreaming  the  golden 
dreams  of  a  roseate  future.  To-night,  however,  her  meditations  were  disturb¬ 
ed  by  the  unobtrusive  entrance  of  her  father.  He  looked  racher  tired,  she 
thought,  as  she  turned  affectionately  to  greet  him,  and  after  the  silance  between 
them  had  become  a  little  oppressive,  she  ventured  a  question. 

“Aren’t  you  feeling  well  to-night,  father?” 

“Just  a  little  tired,  that’s  all,  dear”, he  answered.  Then  abruptly,  “Is 
young  Hunter  coming  here  to-night?”  he  asked. 

“Why,  I  don’t  know  positively”  she  answered  with  a  faint  blush,  looking 
down  unconsiciously  at  the  ring  that  gleamed  on  her  hand.  “He  expected  to 
be  back  from  New  York  to-day  but  could’nt  be  absolutely  certain.” 

“From  New  York!”  echoed  her  father  in  suprise.  “Why,  he  has’nt  been 
to  New  York.  I  thought  he  would  have  told  you  of  his  new  appointment. 
Didn’t  he  tell  you  that  he  had  been  made  Chief  Marine  Engineer  a  tDentons?” 

“Marine  Engineer!”  she  repeated,  blankly.  “Oh,  father,  you’re  not  jok¬ 
ing,  are  you.?” 

“Most  decidedly  I  am  not!”  he  answered  bruskly.  “Monday  the  Dentons 
discharged  Johnson  and  put  Hunter  in  charge  of  the  naval  contract  work.  And 


74 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


since  then  he’s  been  working  night  and  day.  Oh,  I’ve  got  good  cause  to  know 
all  right,”  he  continued  bitterly,  seeing  his  daughter’s  look  of  suprise.  “Only 
this  morning  John  Tyrrell  came  to  me  and  almost  frantically  implored  me  to 
use  my  utmost  efforts  in  hurrying  the  work  along.  You  know  how  much  this 
contract  may  mean  to  us  at  the  Tyrralls’  if  we  beat  out  the  Denton  boat.  Up 
until  Monday  we  were  pretty  sure  we  could.  But  now  that  they’ve  put  Hunter 
on  the  job,  I’m  extremely  doubtful.  Yes,  I’m  extremely  doubtful,”  he  repeat¬ 
ed  thoughtfully,  gazing  out  of  the  window. 

“It  means  so  much  to  me!”  he  suddenly  burst  out,  passionately,  “If  we 
don’t  win  out,  the  Company  is  bound  to  go  to  pieces  and  I’ll  be  out  of  a  posi¬ 
tion.  I’m  too  old  to  learn  a  new  business  and  there  are  mighty  few  openings 
now-a-days  for  General  Managers  in  the  Steam  Engineering  line.  And  Hunt¬ 
er’s  so  young!  What  is  the  differance  to  him  it  he  doesn’t  fulfill  this  contract** 
No  one  can  blame  him.  There ’s  a  thousand  and  one  excuses  that  will  serve  him. 
And  yet  he  is  working  night  and  day  to  beat  us  out!  It’s  too  much!  If  only 
he  would  listen  to  reason!  If  only - 

“There,  there,  I’m  overwrought”  he  said  suddenly,  rising  heavily  to  his 
feet.  “Don’t  mind  what  I’ve  said,  Patty  dear.  I’ve  nothing  against  Hunter  for 
making  the  best  of  his  opportunities.  Please  forget  what  I’ve  said  tonight. 
Well,  if  your  mother  should  ask  for  me  tell  her  I’ll  be  down  to  dinner.”  He 
strode  heavily  out  of  the  room  and  Patricia  heard  him  laboriously  mount  the 
stairs  and  tramp  along  the  corrider  to  his  bed  room. 

For  quite  awhile  after  he  had  left,  she  sat  motionless  on  the  bench,  think¬ 
ing  deeply.  The  result  of  her  thoughts  made  itself  known  when  later  in  the 
evening  she  came  down  stairs  to  greet  Hunter.  She  wore  her  newest,  prettiest 
frock,  her  silky  black  hair  was  done  up  in  the  style  he  loved  best,  and  her  en¬ 
tire  attitude  indicated  a  deliberate  intention  to  charm.  Never,  he  thought  as 
he  watched  her  when  a  little  later  she  played  and  sang  for  him,  had  she  appear¬ 
ed  so  sweet  and  infinitely  desirable.  Never  had  she  been  so  gay  and  brilliantly 
witty  in  repartee  as  when  she  took  to  bantering  him  upon  his  desertion.  But 
when  he  began  to  tell  her  eagerly,  and,  it  may  be  a  trifle  exultantly,  of  his  new 
appointment,  she  suddenly  turned  cold  and  moved  away  from  him.  For  a  little 
while  he  watched  her,  smiling  tolerantly,  but  when  she  made  no  effort  to  recip¬ 
rocate  his  enthusiasm,  he  became  serious  and  crossed  over  to  her  side. 

“Patricia”  he  said  with  a  sadness  in  his  voice.  “Can’t  you  find  even  a  lit¬ 
tle  pleasure  in  this  appointment  that  may  mean  so  much  to  me?” 

“I  could,  Richard”  she  answered  frankly,  turning  to  him.  “I  could  find  it 
in  my  heart  to  take  pleasure  in  anything  that  makes  you  happy.  But  in  this  one 
thing — Oh,  can’t  you  realize  what  it  will  mean  to  father  if  you  should  defeat  his 
company?  Can’t  you  see  why  I  don’t  encourage  you? 

“I  can,  Patty”  he  answered,  gently.  “I  realize  what  this  contract  means  to 
him.  But  you  wouldn’t  have  me  desert  my  allegiance  in  the  crisis,  would  you?” 
There  was  a  note  of  pleading  in  his  appeal  that  she  did  not  fail  to  hear. 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


75 


“But  what  can  it  matter  to  you  if  you  fail  in  this  one  thing?”  she  asked, 
coming  closer  to  him  and  putting  her  hands  on  his  shoulders.  “No  one  can 
blame  you.  Just  a  few  hours  delay  and  the  thing  is  done.  Please  Dixie,”  she 
coaxed.  “Wont  you  do  this  one  thing  for  me?” 

“I  can’t,  Patty”  he  groaned,  taking  her  hands.  “Please  don’t  urge  me,  I 
can’t. 

She  drew  away  from  him,  staring  at  him  fascinated,  wide-eyed.  “You  re¬ 
fuse?”  she  questioned  incredulously.  “You  won’t  help  me?”  Then  suddenly, 
with  a  suspicious  brightness  in  her  eyes,  “I  thank  you,  Mr.  Hunter,  for  your 
courtesy.  I  assure  you  I  shall  remember  it.”  In  the  meantime,  snatching  his 
ring  off  her  finger  and  holding  it  out  to  him  on  her  open  palm,  “please  don’t 
forgetthis  ring  when  you  leave!” 

He  disregarded  the  hand  as  he  advanced  toward  her,  his  arms  outstretched 
in  pleading.  “Oh,  Patty!”  he  exclaimed  sorrowfully.  “You  don’t  mean  it! 
You  can’t  mean  it!  Let  me _ 

“Mr.  Hunter”  she  interrupted,  imperiously  “Please  cease  this  unpleasant 
familiarty.  I  have  no  desire  to  listen  to  you  further.” 

For  a  moment  he  stared  at  her,  stupefied;  then  he  bowed  stiffly  and  moved 
mechanically  toward  the  door.  At  the  threshold  he  stopped. 

“Miss  Churchill”  he  said,  gravely  “I  have  the  honor  to  bid  you  good  night.” 

Until  all  the  patterns  had  been  made  aud  many  of  the  smaller  castings  fin¬ 
ished,  Hunter  experienced  no  trouble  among  his  help  or  in  the  shops.  Then 
one  night,  after  he  had  spent  an  ardous  day  in  the  foundry,  a  stranger  was  ush¬ 
ered  into  the  little  room  that  served  him  both  as  den  and  parlor  in  the  common 
place  boarding  house  that  had  sheltered  him  since  his  stubent  days.  Hunter 
found  no  time  to  question  his  visitor,  for  the  man  commenced  explaining  his 
errand  almost  before  the  door  had  closed  behihd  him. 

“I  understand,  Mr.  Hunter,”  he  began,  suavely  “that  you  have  recently 
been  placed  in  charge  of  certain  marihe  constructain  work  at  the  Denton  plant.” 
He  paused  as  though  seeking  confirmation,  but  as  Hunter  gave  no  sign  of  ei¬ 
ther  affirming  or  denying  the  information,  he  continned  his  insinuating  speech. 
“Now  it  is  in  the  interest  of  certain  people,  who  shall  remain  nameless  for  the 
present,  that  the  work  you  have  undertaken  be  unfinished  at  a  certain  date. 
These  people  feel  that  a  little  delay  on  your  part  may  help  them  to  attain  this 
object.  I  trust,  Mr.  Hunter  that  I  make  myself  clear?” 

Hunter  puffed  thoughfully  at  his  cigar  for  a  moment.  “Then  You  mean,  I 
take  it,  that  if  I  delay  my  work  just  enough  to  cause  the  Dentons  to  forfeit  their 
contract,  certain  people  maybe  willing  to  make  it  worth  my  while?” 

“That’s  it  exactly”  agreed  the  other,  excitedly.  “My  employers  have  au¬ 
thorized  me  to  pay  you  five  thousand  dollars  cash,  conditional  upon  your  delay¬ 
ing  the  work  one  week.  In  addition,  if  you  should  by  any  chance  lose  your 
present  position,  these  people  guarntee  you  another  at  the  same  salary.  What 
do  you  think  of  the  offer?  ” 


76 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


“I  think’,  replied  Hunter,  “I  think  that  the  people  who  employed  you  are 
the  most  cotemtible  lot  of  scoundrels  that  walk  this  earth!  Get  out  of  my  house!” 
he  roared  suddenly,  springing  to  his  feet.  “Get  out  of  my  house,  you  dirty, 
sneaking  hound!  If  ever  I  catch  you  around  here  again,  I’ll  guarntee  you  more 
than  a  tongue  -lashing!  Get  out,  I  say!  You  can  tell  your  jackal  masters  for 
me  that  there  isn’t  enough  money  in  the  world  to  make  me  descend  to  their  level. 

Get  a  move  on  there.  By  Heaven,  if  you’re  not  out  of  this  room  in  three  sec¬ 
onds,  I’ll  kick  you  out!” 

The  creature  needed  no  further  invitation  to  leave.  As  he  went  through  the 
doorway,  Hunter  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  place  his  foot  gently 
against  his  visitor’s  back  and  aid  him  on  his  way.  As  a  result  of  this  propul¬ 
sion,  the  would-be  briber  hit  every  stair  on  his  way  to  the  bottom  with  back  of 
his  neck  and  fhe  top  of  his  head.  The  crash  with  which  he  struck  the  bottom 
landing  nearly  jarred  the  glass  out  of  the  light  globes  on  the  sixth  floor.  As 
he  got  to  his  feet,  he  managed  to  find  his  voice  again  and  his  parting  salutation 
nearly  burned  off  Hunter’s  ears.  In  addition  it  contained  a  threat  that  Hunter 
was  to  remember  during  mauy  a  weary,  bitter  day  in  the  coming  week. 

Never  mind,  Mr.  Chief  Marine  Engineer!  You’re  pretty  strong  now,  tho 
it’s  a  long  time  until  the  middle  of  Septemder!  Those  engines  aren’t  installed 
yet,  not  dy  a  long  shoti  There’s  many  a  slip  detwixt  cup  and  —  ” 

The  last  part  of  the  threat  died  away  in  a  shriek  as  its  author  hurriedly 
dodged  a  heavy  foot  stool  that  Hunter  sent  cracking  against  the  door  casing 
within  an  inch  of  his  head.  So  ended  the  second  and  last  attempt  to  turn 
Hunter  from  the  path  of  his  duty. 

For  weeks  after  the  attempted  bridery  the  work  of  construction  went  along 
smoothly.  Occasionally  a  foreman  became  dissatisfied  and  quit,  and  once  the 
head  of  a  great  department  resigned.  Hunter  rather  welcomed  these  opportu 
nities  for  added  work  , however,  for  they  served  in  a  large  measure  to  help  him 
forget  the  dull  pain  that  coustantly  tugged  at  his  heart.  He  had  only  seen  Miss 
Churchill  once  since  the  day  she  broke  their  engagement,  and  then  she  had  re¬ 
fused  to  recognize  him.  So  when,  on  the  morning  of  the  day  the  engines  were 
to  be  prepared  foa  assembling,  the  entire  force  of  assemdlers  and  their  helpers 
walked  out,  he  plunged  savagely  into  the  task  of  filling  the  breach.  Aided 
by  the  chief  engineer  himself,  he  succeeded  in  repuisitioning  the  entire  machine 
shop  corps  to  help  build  up  the  engines.  Day  bp  day  they  grew  toward  com¬ 
pletion  under  his  skillful  guidance  until  at  last  one  day  the  entire  engineering 
staff  looked  as  one  man  at  the  calender,  and  then  relaxed  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 
The  engines  were  completed  ahead  of  schedule  time. 

Early  in  August  he  took  charge  of  the  makeshift  gang  that  he  had  recruited 
to  dismount  the  engines  preparatory  to  t~ansfering  them  to  the  boat.  Three 
days  before  the  craft  had  been  successfully  launched  and  now  lay  off  the  Dent¬ 
on  docks  awaiting  the  arrival  of  her  fittings.  For  two  days,  Hunter  and  his  staff 
had  carefully  examined  and  checked  the  arrangement,  position,  and  strength  of 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


77 


the  engine  room  braces  and  supporting  beams.  When  everything  had  been  app¬ 
roved,  he  set  about  collecting  his  dismounters.  He  regarded  the  task  of  taking 
the  engines  apart  the  simplest  in  the  entire  work,  and  so  paid  little  attention  to 
the  kind  of  men  he  employed.  As  it  turned  out,  he  was  right  in  his  belief  but  dec¬ 
idedly  wrong  in  his  method  of  choosing  help. 

Until  the  day  before  the  engines  were  ready  to  be  sent  to  the  docks,  he 
had  no  occaison  to  think  seiiously  of  his  midnight  visitors  threat.  Then  he  found 
thet  the  fuel  valve  casings  on  three  of  the  huge  cylinders  had  been  fractured  in 
a  manner  that  admitted  of  no  explanatiou  but  malicios  destruction  Try  as  he 
might  he  could  find  no  clue  as  to  who  had  done  the  mischief  or  when  it  had  been 
done.  The  damage  itself  was  comaratively  trivial,  but  it  gave  him  food  for  ser- 
ions  thought  and  served  to  pnt  him  on  ris  guard.  Thot  night  he  put  thJee  extra 
watchman  on  the  job  with  rnstructions  th  devote  their  time  exclusively  to  guard¬ 
ing  the  assembly  rooms.  Next  morning  three  ihree  of  the  huge  wooden  sheds 
that  closely  abbutted  upon  the  machine  shop  were  found  to  be  scorched  and 
blackened  from  foundations  to  eaves  Beyond  all  doudt  someone  had  attempted 
to  fire  the  sheds  with  the  hope  of  either  catching  tde  machine  shop  or  distract- 
ing  the  watchman’s  attention.  Only  the  advent  of  a  heavy  thunder  ahower  that 
blew  up  at  midnight  had  frustrated  these  aims. 

Hunter  spent  many  sleepless  nights  after  these  incidents  striving  to  formu¬ 
late  some  plan  of  securely  protecting  his  engins.  When  the  new  valve  castings 
had  been  attached,  he  personally  examined  and  tested,  every  bolt  and  nut  in  the 
entire  machine.  As  a  result,  the  final  tests  passed  off  smoothly.  Beyond  the  nec¬ 
essity  of  reassembling  the  engin  in  order  to  run  them  until  the  new  parts  were 
adjusted,  he  had  experienced  no  serious  inconvenience  from  the  wanton  destruc¬ 
tion  of  the  casings.  But  when  the  three  days  that  were  n-eeessary  to  repair  the 
damage  had  passed,  the  entire  naval  world  was  astounded  by  the  sudden  strike 
of  the  ship  carpenters  and  longshore-men.  Day  after  day  found  the  docks  and 
wharves  crowded  with  belligerent  mobs  that  effectively  prevented  the  continu¬ 
ance  of  any  construction  work.  At  the  Denton’s  the  engineering  staff  passed 
many  a  weary  day  and  sleepless  night  vainly  demanding  protection  from  ihe 
authorities  while  they  installd  theit  engins.  Apparently  pressure  had  been 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  city  officials  in  the  interest  of  the  strikers,  for  Hunter 
and  his  associates  could  hardly  get  a  hearing  in  the  civic  offices.  They  were  in 
despair,  for  the  time  alloted  them  was  already  diminishd  to  such  an  extent  that 
only  great  good  luck  would  enable  them  to  fulfil  their  contract.  And  the  strike 
was  apparently  as  far  from  being  settled  as  ever. 

At  that  stage  of  the  game,  however,  Fate  stept  in.  An  unruly  band  of  stri¬ 
kers  broke  into  a  liquor  house  on  Water  Street  late  one  night  and,  inflamed  by 
strong  drink  and  fancied  wrongs,  commenced  a  career  of  destruction.  Beginning 
with  sheds  and  outbuildings  and  gradually  working  up  to  warehouses  and  lum¬ 
ber  yards,  they  methodically  set  about  applying  the  torch  to  everything  in  sight 
Two  hours  later  the  entire  water  front  was  in  flames  and  the  city  officials  were 


30 


12  10568 


145 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


sending  frantic  calls  for  additional  fire-fighting  apparatus.  For  three  days  the 
fire  raged,  until  upwards  of  five  million  dollars  worth  of  damage  had  been  done 
about  applying  the  touch  to  everything  in  sight.  Two  hours  later  the  entire 
water  front  was  in  flames  and  the  city  officials  were  sending  frantic  calls  to 
fhe  neighboring  towns  for  additional  fire  fighting  apparatus.  For  three  days 
the  fire  raged  until  upward  of  five  million  dollars  worth  of  damage  had  been 
done.  By  that  time,  however, six  regiments  of  militia  had  marched  into  the 
city  and  the  rioting  was  subdued.  At  the  end  ofthe  week,  the  work  of  moving 
the  engines  into  their  permanent  quarters  on  the  destroyer  “Hawk”  was  begun 
at  the  Dentons’. 

For  several  weeks  the  work  progressed  steadily.  At  last,  on  the  evening 
of  the  evening  of  the  thirtieth  of  September,  Hunter  straightened  up  wearily 
after  tightening  a  nut  on  one  of  the  connecting  rods  and  looked  about  him  with 
a  sigh  of  satisfaction.  Far  above  him  a  skylight  shone  dimly  gray  against  the 
blackness,  and  multitudes  of  little  electric  lights  twinkled  yellowly  in  the  gather¬ 
ing  gloom.  Here  and  there  in  the  darkness,  rod  and  beam  caught  and  reflected 
the  light  from  their  polished  surfaces.  Huge  and  distinct,  th'e  great  cylinders 
towered  upward  toward  the  arching  deck  beams ;  beneath  them  gigantic  stan¬ 
dards  inclosed  ifi  their  iron  embrace  the  highly  polished  and  gleaming  cross- 
heads  and  connecting  rods.  Below  them,  in  turn,  the  ponderous  cranks  rose 
out  of  the  lower  darkness  to  meet  them  half  way,  where  huge  box-like  journals 
gleamed  with  the  polished  heads  of  many  bolts.  On  each  side  great  pumps 
squatted  close  to  the  base  plates  as  though  afraid  to  venture  into  the  upper 
air.  Connecting  and  interwining  the  entire  structure,  narrow  web-like  stairways 
twisted  among  the  cylinders  and  rose  up  to  where  the  governors  surmounted  the 
injection  valves.  Over  all,  huge  grey  pipes  trailed  off  into  the  darkness  or  re- 
v  appeared  suddenly  amidst  the  great  storage  tanks  that  lined  the  engine  room 
walls.  After  many  weeks  of  tremendous  difficulties  and  intensely  hard  work, 
everything  was  ready  for  the  preliminary  tests  of  the  following  weeks. 

By  that  time,  however,  Richard  Hunter  was  worn  to  a  shadow  of  his  for¬ 
mer  self.  Hard  work  and  long  hours  had  left  some  marks  on  him,  but  it  was 
the  continued  strain  and  great  responsibility  that  did  the  most  damage.  In 
addition,  constant  grieving  over  his  broken  engagement  had  prevented  him  from 
securing  proper  rest  when  he  was  off  duty.  It  was  no  wonder,  then,  that  a 
lone  policeman,  walking  his  beat  at  midnight,  found  a  haggard,  disheveled  phan¬ 
tom  of  a  man,  staggering  along  the  streets  in  an  aimless,  mechanical  way.  To 
the  officer’s  roughly  put  queries,  the  man  answered  only  by  a  wild,  stare,  and 
commenced  to  babble  some  unintelligble  technical  gibberish.  Straightway,  the 
officer  called  an  ambulance,  and  two  hours  later  Hunter  lay  raving  in  delirium 
in  the  City  Park  Hospital.  For  weeks  he  lay  just  over  the  verge  of  uncon¬ 
sciousness,  recognizing  no  one  and  rarely  speaking  an  intelligible  sentence.  In 
his  delirium  he  had  disclosed  his  identity  andp  daily  visitors  sat  pityingly  at 
his  bedside. 


r 


THE  POLY  TECH  MIC 


79 


'was  a  morning  early  in  November  when  he  opened  his  eyes  to  conscious- 
fgain.  Slowly  they  traveled  over  the  unfamiliar  room,  until  they  came  to 
Fc"at  last  upon  the  figure  of  a  girl  seated  at  his  bedside.  She  sat  with  her 
Tiands  losely  clasped  in  her  lap  and  gazed  musingly  out  of  the  window  at  tilt 
wirling  snow  flakes  of  the  first  storm  of  the  winter.  Hunter  could  just  see  the 
curve  of  one  pink  ear  peeping  out  from  amidst  the  coils  of  silky  black  hair,  and 
the  delicate  outline  of  one  cheek.  For  a  long  time  he  lay  motionless,  watching 
her;  then  he  made  some  involuntary  movement  and  the  girl  turned  swiftly 
toward  him.  He  caught  one  glimpse  of  two  startled,  deep  blue  eyes,  and  then 
she  flung  herself  on  her  knees  beside  the  bed  with  a  joyous  little  cry. 

“Oh,  Richard,  Richard!”  she  sobbed  wildly.  “Tell  me  you  forgive  me! 
Tell  me  you  don’t  hate  me!  Oh,  what  I  suffered  when  they  thought  you  might 
die  !  Speak  to  me.  Dixie  dear !” 

“There,  there,  Patty,”  he  said  soothingly,  patting  the  bowed  black  head 
weakly.  “The  Lord  only  knows  what  a  joy  your  mere  presence  is  to  me.  No 
one  can  keep  me  down  now,  dear !”  he  finished  gaily. 

She  lifter  her  head  slowly,  and  he  saw  that  the  blue  eyes  were  filled  with 
tears.  “No  one  knows  what  I’ve  suffered  since  I  drove  you  away  that  awful 
night,”  she  said,  a  trifle  tremulously,  clasping  his  hot,  fevered  hands.  “The 
moment  you  had  gone  I  knew  that  I  couldn’t  bear  to  leave  you  so.  But  pride 
refused  to  let  me  send  for  you  and  so  I  tried  to  crush  you  out  of  my  rebellious 
heart.  And  then  when  father  received  an  inheritance  from  his  brother  and 
everybody  was  talking  about  your  wonderful  engines  I  nearly  gave  up  the 
struggle.  Then  you  diappeared  and  turned  up  later  in  this  dreadful  hospital 
and  I  threw  my  pride  to  the  winds.  I’ve  been  waiting  and  watching  for  you 
to  return  to  consciousness,  and  now  —  Oh,  Dixie,  I’m  too  happy  for  words!” 
She  buried  her  head  in  her  outstretched  arms,  and  over  Hunter,  as  he  watched 
her,  stole  the  realization  of  a  hard-earned  goal  attained.  He  had  gathered  from 
her  words  that  his  engines  had  been  successful  and  that  his  long  struggle  for 
recognition  was  over.  Never  again  would  he  be  the  poor,  overworked  engineer 
of  the  Denton  shops,  toiling  from  early  until  late  with  refractory  motors  and 
unruly  workmen.  He  had  risen  into  fame  within  a  month,  and  with  his  rise 
had  come  success  in  other  things,  success  that  more  than  made  up  for  the 
long  weary  months  he  had  spent  without  it.  So  he  closed  his  eyes  with  a  little 
sigh  of  satisfaction,  and  soon  fell  into  peaceful,  refreshing  sleep,  from  which 
the  doctors  predicted  he  would  awaken  stronger  and  far  along  the  road  to  re¬ 
covery.  In  this  manner,  then,  Richard  Hunter  came  into  his  own. 


1 


THE  POLYTECHNIC 


80 


(APOLOGIES  TO  SAMUEL.) 

In  full-blown  dignity,  see  Bogan  stand, 

Law  in  his  voice,  authority  in  hand : 

To  him  the  School  Board,  rules  and  powers  consign ; 
Through  him  a  host  of  youthful  toilers  shine ; 

His  smile  alone,  safety  from  pen  bestows ; 

Turned  by  his  nod,  the  stream  of  progress  flows. 

Still  to  new  flights  his  restless  wishes  tower, 

Height  leads  to  height,  and  power  advances  power. 

—  Meloon. 


TIME  12:00  P.  M. 


I  search  for  inspiration  —  but  in  vain. 
Credit  in  English'  surely  I  will  gain 
If  college  colors  with  my  ink  I  stain  — , 
Again  I  dip  my  quill,  —  alas ;  in  vain. 


The  “comeback”  wheeze  —  a  hackneyed,  much  worked  thing. 

Parody,  hath  a  most  familiar  ringr 

Satire  ?  — •  a  disposition  like  mine  knows  no  sting. 

I’ll  none  of  these!  of  years  to  come  I  sing: — 


May  fame  attach  itself  to  you  —  Oh  college  class, 
Not  less  than  some  enchanting  little  lass, 

And  when  the  last  day  of  your  “course”  you  pass, 
May  education  help  you  o’er  life’s  dark  morass. 


In  college  ne’er  acquire  that  name  of  “stew,” 

Lest  your  years  in  school  be  many  —  in  life,  fezv. 

Don’t  be  a  “member  of  the  midnight  crew.” 

For  midnight  oil’s  more  wholesome  —  I  guess  that’s  all  for  you 

—  Melvan. 


